Mask Of The Inferno
by The Infiniator
Summary: A deadly new enemy emerges with plans to resurrect an old Keyblade Master, forcing Sora and company to forge unlikely alliances in order to combat the new threat. But their foe has a sinister agenda, a dark past, and ties to Organization XIII.
1. Prologue: The Wanderer

**X**

**MASK OF THE INFERNO**

**By The Infiniator**

**Disclaimer: **

Other than a few original characters that will be introduced over time, I do not own any of the characters portrayed in this story, or anything related to Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, or Disney. Square Enix and Disney are the masterminds behind this amazing franchise, not me. All rights reserved.

**Author's Note:**

I was inspired to pen this story after having played "Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep," as well as a few other games. Believe it or not, but the "Mass Effect" series has also been a huge inspiration for this one. Additionally, I just recently watched some old Disney flicks that have yet to make appearances in the "Kingdom Hearts" universe, so I plan on adding them myself.

This story will jump around in time, but nothing like Season 5 of "Lost" or anything like that. I'll try to make it as easy as possible for you to know where and when in time things are occurring. For the most part, I'll use italics for flashbacks and anything else that's not taking place in the present, such as the Prologue below. Meanwhile the present story will be written in regular font. If I don't like this format or decide to change it, I'll make sure to let you guys (and girls) know of any alterations.

And lastly, thank you all for taking the time to check out my story. I really plan on staying committed to the completion of this narrative and have great things in mind for her. Believe me, I have something grand in mind for this baby. Your comments, questions, and concerns are always welcome and appreciated. And do not be afraid to judge harshly – sometimes it makes for the best motivation.

Alright, enough with the pleasantries. Let's do this.

* * *

**- Prologue -**

**The Wanderer**

* * *

_**"A man who casts no shadow has no soul."**_

Standing poised upon the precipice of a colossal canyon formation, the Wanderer gazed out over an endless expanse of barren wasteland. For reasons he could not explain, dusk seemed an almost eternal phenomenon here in this place, for he had been basking in the warm rays of the setting sun for what seemed like ages. The slight breeze that had begun to flow from the North was mildly refreshing, especially in a humid environment such as this one. Gusts of wind blew gravel and rocks past the Wanderer as his coattails leisurely flailed in the brisk air. Overall, the scene before him was beautifully tranquil, which was exactly why the Wanderer found it ironically poetic that such a serene setting was currently the backdrop of a brutal war.

Hundreds of feet below him, countless men and women were embroiled in a fierce conflict with one another, with lives lost by the second. War was nothing new to the Wanderer. He had witnessed the horrors of war first-hand, he himself having claimed countless lives for as long as he could remember. Millions dead, millions more tragically scarred, it would seem as if eventually people would realize the error of their ways and adopt a doctrine of peace. But the Wanderer knew otherwise. He had come to realize long ago that there was one absolute truth about the Universe – war is inescapable.

And this did not apply simply to humans, but was true of all living things. "War makes the world go 'round." Hardened and cold, the Wanderer felt indifferent about the growing tragedy unfolding below him, nor did he care about what these people fought for. Currently he was toying with the idea of interfering in the warfare. If he wanted to he could end the conflict and make all their problems go away in an instant. The Wanderer could not recall the last time he had wiped out so many lives at once. It would make good sport. A planetary implosion was a mesmerizing sight, one that had always fascinated the Wanderer. The fact that he possessed the ability to put out so many lights all at once seemed almost cruel to him. Almost.

But alas, the Wanderer did not indulge himself in such petty conflict. It was beneath him. No, he chose instead to allow events to play out on their own and let fate take its course. Although he was slightly curious as to the nature of the weapon each individual below was using – each and every combatant wielded what looked like a giant key, something he had never come across during all his years of travel – the Wanderer decided it was not worth further investigation. And so he turned away from the edge of the cliff and left the world and its people behind him.

Many years passed after that. The Wanderer had roamed the Universe for eons, traveling from world to world and experiencing everything that the scope of existence had to offer. From the most primitive of cultures to the most technologically advanced civilizations, the Wanderer had seen things most ordinary people could only dream of. Some might consider this lifestyle "living the good life," but the Wanderer saw things differently. Contrary to what some might believe, he had no real reason for traveling the stars. He had no purpose, no ambitions, no goals to fulfill. He wasn't soul searching for he had no soul to begin with, nor did he have an expiration date, for death feared him. He was a nomad without a destination. Sometimes the Wanderer would ponder his own existence, only to become enraged at the thought of his endless torture. Thus, he merely went wherever his travels took him and hoped the next world offered him more than the last. Today they brought him to a sun swept beach.

Upon arriving at the new world, the Wanderer could not ignore the touch of nostalgia he felt, for the scene before him was oddly similar to the one he had experienced back on the plateau. The beach was completely deserted save for a young man standing at the edge of a wooden pier, staring out at the endless ocean before him. Normally the Wanderer did not reveal his presence to just anyone, preferring to stay in the shadows. However, there was something different about this boy, something the Wanderer felt warranted closer inspection. The Wanderer took a moment to take in his surroundings before proceeding. Behind him was a lush jungle filled with various trees and plant-life. Turning back toward the pier, the Wanderer noticed a small, wooden rowboat docked on the shore tied to one of the columns that supported the pier. Inside, the oars rolled back and forth as the small craft swayed in the water. Satisfied there was nothing else of interest, the Wanderer strode down the pier toward the boy, who, other than briefly glancing at him, did not seem to pay the Wanderer much mind. They stood side-by-side, admiring the twilit sky and the dark-blue ocean.

"You're not from around here," declared the boy without taking his eyes off the horizon, a cool breeze passing through his snow-white hair.

The Wanderer stood with his arms behind his back. "What makes you say that?"

The boy looked up as a flock of seagulls fluttered over them. "We don't get many visitors here."

The Wanderer nodded. "No, I'm not from around here."

The boy pointed out at the sea. "You come from out there, don't you?"

"In a sense, yes."

"So, there are other worlds out there?"

The Wanderer nodded again.

"How many?"

"More than you can imagine."

"And where do you come from?"

"You are correct in assuming that I am not of this world."

The boy took a seat on the edge of the pier, allowing his feet to dangle just above the water's surface. "Is there a reason you wear that thing on your face?"

"Is there a reason you stare out at the ocean by yourself?" countered the Wanderer.

The boy looked down at his hands. "I know there's more to life than just these islands, you know? I know in my heart that I'm not meant to stay stuck here. I know with absolute certainty that I'm destined for something greater than this insignificant existence." The boy's gaze returned to the ocean. "But first I need to get out of here."

The Wanderer saw much of himself in the boy. He too was once a youthful spirit, curious about what lay beyond his home and what secrets the Universe kept. "In order to fulfill your destiny, you must first embrace it, not allow it to embrace you."

The boy looked up at the Wanderer. "How do I do that?"

The Wanderer returned the boy's stare, their eyes locking. "Young man, you have a touch of destiny about you, of that I am certain. I foresee that you will have a significant impact on the course of Universal events. However, in order for these events to come to fruition, you must take action. How you go about doing so is entirely up to you."

The boy looked down for a second time, seemingly processing the Wanderer's words.

"Reflect on this knowledge." The Wanderer turned around to make his leave. "For one day it just might prove useful."

There was a moment of silence before the boy spoke again.

"Maybe we'll meet again someday."

The Wanderer chuckled. "In another life, perhaps."

The boy thought about something for a moment. "You never answered my question," he declared suddenly.

The Wanderer was halfway down the pier. He stopped and turned to face the boy. "Why do I wear this mask?"

The boy nodded.

The Wanderer took one last look at the sun just over the boy's shoulder. "I don't. It wears me."

And so the Wanderer continued his endless journey into the farthest reaches of existence, drifting from world to world as the decades slowly drifted by. Eventually he came across a small town nestled at the foot of a colossal castle. Barely visible in the distance was a mountain chain that seemed to run on for miles. The town was quiet, with only a few citizens out on the streets. The Wanderer spotted a few shops scattered about the central square, providing everything from clothing to travel supplies to weapons. Additionally, various areas of the town seemed heavily industrialized, with numerous machines, all with differing purposes, powering individual areas of the town. The Wanderer even passed an enormous factory with a complex reactor of sorts located at the heart. Overall, the community seemed adequately provided for.

Strolling through the castle town, the Wanderer noticed a young girl in a pink dress watching him. Intrigued, he made his way to her. "Good afternoon."

The girl had long brown hair with a red bow. Her green eyes briefly scanned the Wanderer's face, no doubt pondering the apparatus that concealed it. "Hello," she spoke in a soft, friendly tone. "You must be new in town."

The Wanderer nodded. "Just passing through," he declared. "I must say, your home is quite beautiful. If I may inquire, have you lived here long?"

"Yes," replied the girl, cheerfully. "All my life actually."

The Wanderer cared nothing about this girl's life. He was merely making small talk before getting to the reason why he had approached her in the first place. "I noticed that all the machines powering the town are all linked to that castle. Is there some sort of ruler who resides there?"

The girl nodded. "Ansem the Wise. Although, he's not really our 'ruler.' He's more of a sage-king. He watches over the town and makes sure everything runs smoothly. He's a very nice man."

The Wanderer looked up at the castle. For reasons he could not explain, he felt drawn to it. "I'm curious. Would it be at all possible to meet with this Ansem the Wise?"

"Of course. His doors are always open to the people. The gate is just over there." She pointed past the Wanderer towards the castle gates.

"Thank you for kindness Miss . . . ?"

"Oh," she giggled. "It's Aerith."

"Thank you, Aerith. You've been a big help."

The Wanderer turned around and made his way toward the castle gates. There was a familiar feeling lingering in the air, like a déjà vu of sorts, but he could not quite place why. Whatever the reason, he held on to the idea that for once his travels had led him somewhere worthwhile. It was not mere coincidence he had arrived in this place. No, something great was taking shape here in this small, castle town. The gears of fate had begun to spin. Finally, after centuries of ceaseless wandering, he had discovered something of value.

The Wanderer was greeted at the castle gates by a tall, broad-shouldered man wielding a silver lance. His name was Dilan, and he was one of the castle's Royal Guard. Dilan wore his long black hair in dreadlocks and kept it in check via a ponytail. The Wanderer recalled Dilan scrutinizing him very carefully before allowing him access to the castle proper.

Dilan escorted him through the upper echelons of the castle, which seemed to reach up far into the clouds. As they traversed the winding corridors of the immense bastion, the Wanderer began to notice that the further into the castle they went, the more the scenery changed from luxurious to industrial. Decorations such as paintings and sculptures were replaced with masses of wires and tubes that hugged the walls and ran in various directions. The Wanderer surmised that they must be powering specific parts of the castle. No doubt whatever work took place within these walls required massive amounts of energy to power. The Wanderer was genuinely impressed.

After a few more minutes, Dilan stopped in front of a large door. "We are here," he said, his back to the Wanderer.

Switching his lance from his right hand to his left, Dilan cleared his throat a few times and made a quick attempt at adjusting his uniform. Then he placed his feet together and straightened his back so that he stood at attention, before finally knocking on the door. The Wanderer was again impressed; Ansem the Wise clearly commanded the respect of his subjects.

"Yes?" asked a voice from inside.

"My lord, your guest has arrived," stated Dilan sternly.

"Ah, yes, of course. Send him in."

Dilan opened the door, stepped inside, and bowed his head. "Your guest," he said, motioning for the Wanderer to enter.

The Wanderer stepped into the office, a circular room whose walls were made up almost entirely of bookshelves crammed with volumes of giant manuscripts. Sitting behind a desk shaped like a crescent moon was a blonde-haired elderly man in a white lab coat. Underneath the coat he wore a dark gray vest, white collared shirt, and a violet ascot. Draped over his shoulders was a red sweater of sorts.

"Thank you, Dilan. That will be all."

"My lord." Dilan bowed once more before exiting the room and shutting the door behind him.

The Wanderer could sense him standing guard on the other side, ready to strike should anything unpleasant unfold, but he paid the man no mind; he was not here for violence, only reconnaissance.

"Good afternoon," Ansem had said, meeting him in front of the desk and extending his hand in welcome. "I am Ansem the Wise, ruler of Radiant Garden."

The first thing the Wanderer noticed about Ansem the Wise was that the pleasant tone in his voice was genuinely sincere; a rare trait amongst people. The second thing he noticed was that Ansem's bright orange eyes were true. They say that a person's eyes are the gateway to their soul – never more had this rang true. Should Ansem ever lie to anyone, his eyes would give him away, but the Wanderer felt that he never needed to lie, thus nullifying the handicap. The Wanderer accepted his hand and the two exchanged a firm handshake.

"It is an honor to make your acquaintance."

"Please, sit."

The Wanderer did so, as Ansem made his way around the desk to his own chair.

"So, Dilan tells me you have only been with us for a short amount of time."

The Wanderer nodded. "Yes."

"Are you planning on staying long?"

The Wanderer scanned the room, his eyes shifting from the small chemistry set on Ansem's desk to the drawing boards situated behind him. "Radiant Garden is a beautiful place. Perhaps I will stay, if it is right for me."

"I see. And what, may I ask, brought you to Radiant Garden in the first place?"

"No particular reason," answered the Wanderer. "I am merely a . . . traveler by nature."

Ansem nodded. "Hmm, well in that case one could argue that it was fate that brought you here."

The Wanderer was intrigued by Ansem's comment. "How so?"

"While I am the ruler of this land and watching over the people is my primary responsibility, I am also a scholar in many fields of study, as you have no doubt already noticed," explained Ansem, chuckling as he motioned towards the very drawing boards the Wanderer had been eying only moments ago. "Most recently I have been looking into the science of inter-dimensional travel and the possible existence of other worlds. However, there has yet to be any real scientific breakthrough pertaining to this particular field of study, so my research is mostly just based on theories. I was planning on abandoning the subject altogether, but then I received word that a 'mysterious traveler' had arrived in town, and, well . . . I must admit the adventurer in me became slightly optimistic."

"So you believe me to be of another world?"

"I apologize if I am mistaken, but you certainly fit the bill," Ansem said. "A 'traveler by nature' as you so put it. And, if I may be blunt, there is a certain . . . air about you. A foreign air. Dilan noticed it too. He mentioned it to me, but it wasn't until I actually met you that I could understand what he meant."

The Wanderer said nothing.

"I can't quite place what exactly it is, but from the moment you walked into this room, I got the impression that you are not from around here. And I don't mean in the local sense."

The Wanderer chuckled. "If you only knew," he thought. He always found it amusing that people could easily detect that he was a foreigner from another world, yet not once had anyone ever suspected his true nature, despite the sinister looking mask attached to his face, staring them right in the eye. But the Wanderer took the humble approach. "Am I that easy to read?"

Ansem couldn't help but smile. "My my. I can hardly believe this is happening. All those years of sifting through volume after countless volume of theoretical dissertations and engaging in hapless experiments, and just like that, the evidence just walks through my door." He was eying the Wanderer as if he were some sort of marvelous specimen.

"Sometimes in life things have a funny way of working themselves out," said the Wanderer.

"Indeed they do," replied Ansem. "Indeed they do. Tell me, would you mind spending the night here in the castle? I would very much enjoy becoming acquainted with one another. You are no doubt curious as to the work that goes on here, and I have already made it blatantly evident that I would like to pick your brain about your traveling endeavors. It would be mutually beneficial and possibly even pivotal in scientific advancement."

The Wanderer considered Ansem's offer. As much as he felt he was meant to be here, he could not explain why. Perhaps the decades of aimless wandering had made him hopelessly optimistic that this world actually had something of value to offer him. _What if I am wasting my time here?_ he mused.

"I will consider it," answered the Wanderer at last, neither accepting nor declining the invitation. "I need time to . . . reflect."

"Reflect?" asked a confused Ansem.

"Yes," said the Wanderer, without elaborating.

Ansem nodded, slightly disappointed, but did not pursue the matter further. However, he cheered himself up quickly and rose from his seat. "Whatever you decide to do, I am glad we had the chance to meet. You have no idea how enlightening this five minute conversation was for me. For that, I thank you."

The Wanderer stood up and shook Ansem's hand. "It was an honor to have met you, Ansem the Wise."

Ansem walked the Wanderer over to the door and opened it for him.

Out in the hall, Dilan was standing at attention. He bowed the second Ansem emerged from the office. "My lord."

"Dilan, would you kindly escort our guest back to town?"

Dilan nodded. "Of course."

Ansem patted him on the shoulder. "Thank yo-" Something down the hall had caught his attention. "Ah, Xehanort! You're just in time. Come, I'd like you to meet someone."

The Wanderer turned to see whom Ansem was talking to. A young man in a lab coat similar to Ansem's had just turned the corner, an open portfolio in his hand. He looked up from his notes and made his way over to them. The moment the Wanderer laid eyes on the boy, all doubt about remaining in Radiant Garden instantly vanished.

"This is my newest apprentice, Xehanort," said Ansem, introducing the boy.

The young man nodded toward the Wanderer. "Hello."

The Wanderer was momentarily speechless – a rare occurrence for him.

Xehanort fixed the Wanderer with an awkward stare after a moment of no reply. "Um, Is everything alright?" he asked.

It was unmistakable. The Wanderer could not believe his eyes. Standing before him was the same boy he had met on the sun-swept beach all those years ago. The boy who dreamt of leaving the confines of his small world, the boy who yearned for more, the boy whom the Wanderer had told was destined for great things. He had not been lying. The boy on the island had given off an unusual aura, one the Wanderer had easily recognized as unique. It did not matter that the boy standing before him was different in appearance than the boy on the beach. This boy had the same aura as the one on the beach. They were one and the same. And now their paths had crossed again.

"I . . . Yes, everything's fine," answered the Wanderer at last. "I'm sorry . . . have we met before?"

Xehanort chuckled at the thought as he turned around, his eyes back on his notes. "In another life, perhaps."

Radiant Garden now had the Wanderer's full attention.

* * *

**Opening Theme Song: "Edge Of The Earth" by 30 Seconds To Mars**


	2. Infernal Intruder

**X**

**- 1 -**

**Infernal Intruder**

* * *

**Castle Oblivion**

_Nearly there_, thought a lone figure standing in silent mediation. He stood in the center of a wide room which was not unlike most in the castle; in fact, nearly every room and corridor were almost identical. Each was painted entirely white, with tall columns on each side supporting high ceilings. Some rooms, such as this one, had tall windows through which intensely phosphorescent light poured in, showering the room with crisp luminosity. On the ground in the center of the chamber was a large engraving of the sun embedded into the marble floor, designed the way a child would draw it: a circle with triangular spikes around it. Save for a few busts and sculptures scattered about in various areas, the castle's interior was devoid of any actual embellishment. Clearly whoever had designed Castle Oblivion had not put much thought into decoration.

The room's sole occupant was a stark contrast to the environment around him. Like a dark stain on an otherwise clean cloth, the man was attired in a long, black, hooded cloak coupled with matching boots and gloves. When one is introduced into the ranks of Organization XIII, it is considered an honor to wear the 'coat,' which serves as the standard uniform for every member. Like Castle Oblivion's design, the man thought the uniform was very bland. No imagination whatsoever. But being that the man was a Nobody, his "feelings" on the matter were mostly trivial and did not hold any weight. Besides, the uniform was not without intrinsic value. The magic embedded into the cloak protects the wearer from being devoured by darkness, and in the man's line of work, one operates in the shadows at all times.

So far the day's events had, for the most part, gone according to plan. It was only until just recently that things had taken an unpleasant turn. First there was Larxene's untimely demise. Although she had not been essential to the success of the man's plan, she was genuinely loyal to his cause and was not entirely useless; an ally at this point would have been strategically advantageous. Then there was the matter of Axel's recent betrayal. The man had not fully trusted Axel's motives, and although Axel had proven his loyalty to the man's cause by eliminating Vexen, his suspicions of Axel's true intentions had remained, and rightly so. Luckily, however, even though Axel had released Naminéfrom captivity, the man had been able to recapture the witch, thus salvaging his plan. However, the man was now alone in his crusade to usurp control of the Organization. Everything was riding on Naminé's ability to manipulate the Keyblade wielder's memories. The boy was his ace in the hole against the Organization. Without the boy, the man stood absolutely no chance of success.

This entire scheme had been the result of the Organization leader's obsession with the creation of a new Kingdom Hearts. While the rest of the Organization might feel that it is pertinent to obtain new hearts in order to become "real" once again, the man had little interest in such affairs. The others were blind. To them, existing as a Nobody was a curse and they felt that without hearts, they would remain incomplete. That was where this rebellion stemmed from. The man had had enough of the Superior's nonsense about the "heart of all hearts." Unlike the others, the man embraced his Nobody existence. As a Nobody, one no longer bore the burden of useless emotions that human beings treasured so dearly. The day he had become a Nobody was the day he had cast aside his chains and been reborn. That was what the other members failed to see. Being a Nobody was not a curse, but rather it was the pinnacle of life; the ultimate form of existence. In order for the Organization's full potential to be achieved, each and every member must not only remain a Nobody, but they must accept that this is who they were, for now and ever.

Although he was still a neophyte compared to other members, the man was confident that what he was doing was the correct course of action. He was not some mere insubordinate fledgling that did not like to take orders from his superiors. No, this was more than just a conflict of ideals. It was the man's duty to seize control – it was his destiny. Only under his leadership would the Organization's power and resources be put to proper use. And his goal was just within reach. All the hours of plotting and waiting would come to fruition shortly. Everything was coming to a head here at the top of Castle Oblivion.

The man snapped out of his thoughts as he realized he was no longer alone.

"You have some nerve to show your treasonous face around here," he said, his voice calm, almost soothing. "Some nerve indeed."

"Treasonous? I don't know what you could possibly be talking about." The sarcasm oozing from the newcomer's voice was blatantly obvious.

The man turned to face his visitor. The crimson-haired Axel, Organization XIII's eighth member, stood at the opposite end of the room, a smirk etched across his face.

"Why let Naminé go?" asked the man. "If it weren't for your needless meddling, we could have turned the Keyblade master to come and serve us."

"Oh, right, your big plan," replied Axel. "You use Naminé to rewrite Sora's memories piece by little piece, and he turns into her little puppet. Then, using Naminé and Sora together, you and Larxene overthrow the Organization. Am I right?" Axel's tone was clearly mocking of Marluxia's plot. "I would say that YOU are the traitor, Marluxia."

Marluxia passed a hand through his rose-pink, shoulder-length hair. "Since when were you suspicious of us?"

Axel's smirk turned into a grin. "Do either one of us have the heart to believe anyone?"

Marluxia couldn't help but chuckle. "So, you only eliminated Vexen to obtain proof of our plan?"

"That I didn't want to do. But it was your order." As he finished the sentence, Axel took dropped into an attack stance and summoned his signature twin chakrams, which appeared in a burst of fire in his hands.

"Oh," said Marluxia with an evil grin, his deep blue eyes boring down on Axel.

Axel twirled the weapons around in his hands. "Remember the order. 'You must eliminate the traitor.'" Axel's voice suddenly took on a much more serious tone. "I always follow orders, Marluxia."

Marluxia said nothing, instead choosing to allow Axel to make the first move, which he sensed was only moments away.

"Larxene paid the price for disloyalty when she disappeared. You must do the same!"

Axel lunged at Marluxia with impressive speed, swinging his chakram directly at the man's head. Marluxia evaded the blow, and then another, before jumping back. Summoning his giant scythe, Marluxia was able to deflect the two chakrams, which Axel had thrown at him. He sent the weapons flying back at their wielder, who caught them with relative ease.

"The Organization's betrayed," proclaimed Axel as he readied for another offensive. "In that name I will annihilate you."

Marluxia smiled once more. "That line's not you."

Axel returned the smile. "Well, had to try it once, you know."

The two engaged each other yet again, with Marluxia countering another set of attacks before taking the offensive for the first time. He swung his scythe in a downward vertical motion with inhuman strength, sending a wave of dark energy soaring at Axel. Axel was just barely able to deflect the blast, which dissolved into a flurry of pink rose pedals. Axel quickly rushed Marluxia, sending a pair of fireballs at him. The battle bore on with neither individual backing down. Finding themselves on opposite sides of the room yet again, the two men rushed each other. Only a few feet away from collision, activity in the middle of the room stopped both men suddenly in their tracks.

A corridor of darkness had appeared directly in front of them. Before either one could question it, something, or rather, someone flew out of the dark void. The lifeless body crashed hard onto the marble floor. Axel and Marluxia exchanged looks of puzzlement before focusing on the body lying before them.

"If it wasn't for that idiotic look of confusion on your face, I would have assumed this was your attempt at a distraction," declared Marluxia. "A poor one at that."

"Funny," responded Axel, still eyeing the body. "I was just thinking the same about you."

The person, whoever they were, was wearing an Organization uniform with the hood up, which kept their face hidden from view. The coat was in tatters, having been torn in various places and covered in what looked like burn holes. Axel began to slowly approach the body cautiously, prepared for any surprise attack Marluxia might attempt. His mind raced ever faster as his curiosity mounted.

Reaching the body, he gazed down at it before turning back towards Marluxia. "Don't try anything funny."

Marluxia fixed him with a momentary glare before dismissing his scythe and taking a step back as a show of good faith.

Satisfied, Axel turned back towards the body and knelt down beside it. His emerald eyes scanned the severe wounds on the individual's back, which consisted of deep cuts and burns. Whoever this person was, they had taken a serious beating. Taking a deep breath, Axel extended his arm and pulled back the hood.

"Well?" asked Marluxia.

But Axel simply sat there, flabbergasted. He stared at the individual's face for what seemed like ages, unable to comprehend how they had gotten here.

Marluxia was growing impatient. "Axel," he stated, louder this time.

Axel turned, Marluxia's voice having snapped him out of a confused trance.

"Who is it?"

Axel moved aside to allow Marluxia a clear view. "It's . . . Larxene."

"What? Impossible."

But there was no denying it. Lying unconscious on the floor was none other than Larxene, her face covered in scratches and bruises and her bright blonde hair, disheveled.

"Perhaps the Keyblade isn't as effective as we've been led to believe," surmised Axel, still examining Larxene's wounds.

Marluxia stared at Larxene with confusion and contempt. He did not like unexpected surprises, especially ones that he could not wrap his mind around. How Larxene had come to appear in this room, alive none the less, was beyond him. _There must be an explanation,_ he thought to himself. Extending his arm, Marluxia opened his own corridor of darkness.

Within seconds, a young girl wearing a knee-high white lace dress and light-blue sandals emerged. She had bleach blonde hair and deep blue eyes and had an almost passive demeanor about her. She surveyed the room before her eyes came to rest on Larxene. She seemed perplexed by the woman's presence.

"Naminé," said Marluxia.

The girl jumped, not having noticed the tall figure of Marluxia standing behind her. She turned to face him "Yes?"

"Would you care to explain this to us?"

Naminé seemed bewildered. "Explain what?"

Marluxia exhaled slowly in order to suppress his evident aggravation. "Explain this," he replied, pointing towards Larxene. "How Larxene has suddenly appeared here, alive, after being destroyed by Sora. Surely you must know why."

Naminé turned back towards Larxene and Axel. "Why are you asking me? I have nothing to do with this." She approached the two of them, her eyes locked on Larxene. "I . . . I'm just as . . . confused as you are."

"Don't lie to me," growled Marluxia, who was beginning to lose his patience. "You've had a hand in this, you must have. How else could Larx-"

"Hey, cool it, Marluxia," said Axel, coming to Naminé's defense. "The girl has power over Sora's memories, not bringing back the dead. There must be some other expla-"

A sudden cry interrupted Axel's sentence. Axel jumped back, having been taken by surprise. The body he had been kneeling next to was now moving. Larxene had awoken.

"Wha- wh-" She could barely utter a single word, let alone a sentence.

"Larxene, it's me, Axel."

She was on her hands and knees gasping for breath, as if she had just woken up from a terrible nightmare. The two long, antennae-like strands of hair that normally stood straight back were now hanging over her face. "Wh- where . . . ?"

"You're still inside Castle Oblivion," stated Axel, hoping to give her some time to breathe. He looked over his shoulder at Naminé and Marluxia, the two of them fixing him with looks of utter perplexity.

"Where . . . where is . . . he?" Larxene's voice was hoarse and weak.

"Sora?" asked Axel, assuming she was referring to the boy who had defeated her. "He's still in the castle too. Probably on his way here right now."

"Larxene," declared Marluxia suddenly. He strode over to where she was still on the ground before continuing. "What is the meaning of this? How is it possible that you still . . . remain amongst us? Explain yourself."

Axel rose to his feet. "Hey, cool it, man. She's in no condition to be interrogated like that."

"Save it, Axel," said Marluxia. "You don't care about her well-being anymore than I do."

"No," countered Axel, "but I do wanna get to the bottom of all this and she's the only one who can tell us what's going on. So let's give her a minute or two before we start drilling her with questions."

Naminé was disgusted by the two men's seemingly dispassionate attitude towards one of their own. Although Larxene was an extremely cruel woman, and had been very much so towards Naminé, seeing her like this was not pleasing in the least bit. "Can one of you please help her up?"

Axel and Marluxia both looked at Naminé simultaneously, each seemingly confounded by her remark.

"Uh, you do realize it's Larxene you're talking about, right?" asked Axel. "Or have you forgotten that she's mean and depraved? And mean."

Naminé stomped her foot down. "So what? Look at her injuries! She's hurt real bad! The least you could do is help her up, if only because she's a lady!"

Axel and Marluxia exchanged glances.

"Geez, alright," responded Axel, scratching his head. "We'll help the lady out. Help me get her up, Marluxia."

Marluxia seemed rather annoyed by the request but did not raise any objections. "Fine."

The two men each took one of Larxene's arms and lifted her to her feet.

"Up and at 'em," said Axel as he hoisted Larxene's nearly limp body up.

Next, after placing her arms around their necks and over their shoulders, the two of them slowly walked her towards the nearest wall in the room. She was fading in and out of consciousness, muttering under her breath.

"There, you see?" declared Axel over his shoulder. "Chivalry isn't dead after all."

"Enough rambling!" spat Marluxia. "Set her down here."

Having reached the wall, Marluxia and Axel spun around and lowered Larxene's limp body down so that her back rested against it. As they did so, Larxene abruptly sprang to life, shoving the two men aside.

"Get away from me!" shouted Larxene, her voice a terrified shrill. Hobbling past them, she shoved Naminé aside and frantically scanned the room.

"Larxene," declared Axel. "Wha-"

"WHERE IS HE?"

"We already told you," answered Marluxia. "Sora is still here in the cas-"

"Not Sora, you idiot!"

Marluxia was taken aback by her sudden outburst.

"Hey look, Larxene's back," stated Axel, sarcastically.

"If not Sora then who are you talking about?" asked Marluxia.

Larxene immediately stopped her traipsing. She walked directly towards Marluxia and grabbed him by the hood of his coat. "The . . . the man . . ."

Marluxia was utterly perturbed by Larxene's answer, as well as her proximity to him. He took her arms and lowered them from his coat. "What man?"

Larxene started to speak but then choked on her words and nearly collapsed. Reacting quickly, Axel was able to catch her before she hit the ground. She wrapped her arms around him and began sobbing.

Axel looked up at Marluxia and fixed him with a look that he intended to mean something along the lines of "what do I do?" Marluxia just shook his head in return, unable to produce a solution. Axel then turned his attention towards Naminé. "Wanna help me out here?"

Naminé had been observing the entire ordeal with absolute puzzlement. Axel's remark snapped her out of her momentary stupor. She nodded towards Axel and walked over to Larxene. "It's alright, Larxene. There's no one here but us." She placed a hand on Larxene's shoulder before continuing to console the still bawling woman. "Talk to us. You said a man did this to you."

It took a moment, but Larxene's face finally retreated from Axel's coat, her eyes now puffy and red. She sniffled a few times before speaking. "It . . . was the ma- . . . the man . . . in the mask."

"Man . . . in a mask?" asked Marluxia, more to himself than anybody else.

Larxene nodded. "After Sora . . . defeated me, I felt myself fading away into darkness. I was just about to completely disappear for good, when something stopped me." She had to clear her throat before continuing. "At first I thought it was a miracle because I was still alive. But then he showed up."

"The man in the mask?" asked Axel.

Larxene nodded again. "He told me that he had prolonged my death because he needed me to answer some questions for him. When I thanked him he . . ." Tears began to well up in her eyes again as she recalled the traumatic event. "He said that I shouldn't thank him because when he was through with me I would beg him for death."

"Jeez," muttered Axel.

"That's when I saw them."

"Saw who?" queried Marluxia.

"Vexen and Lexaeus," she answered. From the pained expression on her face, it was evident that Larxene did not wish to think about the unpleasant sight. "He must have questioned them too, because they were beat up real bad."

"Lexaeus was here in the castle?" Marluxia asked. "What for?"

"To spy on you," answered Axel, matter-of-factly.

Marluxia merely grunted.

"But wait a minute," declared Axel. "Lexaeus was defeated earlier by Riku. And I killed Vexen hours ago."

_Riku is here as well? _thought Marluxia to himself._ Fantastic. This is just one big reunion._ "Haven't you been listening, you imbecile?" Marluxia's mood was slowly becoming more and more sour. "Whoever this 'man in the mask' is, he somehow possesses the ability to stave off the darkness of death's embrace before it consumes a dying heart. No doubt he did the same thing to Vexen and Lexaeus. The question is, why?"

"I already told you. To question them like he did with me," said Larxene.

"Yes, but what about?"

Larxene shook her head. "I don't know, but he must have gotten what he needed from them."

Axel raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?

Larxene swallowed before responding. "Because . . . because he executed them in front of me. He made me watch."

Naminé gasped and put her hands to her mouth, in shock at Larxene's recollection of the horrific event that she had experienced. Axel shook his head and sighed. If Marluxia was affected by the news, he made no effort to show it.

Larxene took a moment to compose herself before continuing. "He said I'd end up like them if I didn't tell him what he wanted to know. He started hurting me. Bad. Each time I was on the brink of death, he would pull me back out and start over again. I thought it would never end."

There was a momentary silence as the other three processed Larxene's words.

"What exactly did he want to know from you?" asked Marluxia suddenly.

Larxene looked up at him. "He kept asking about the 'original six' and if they had finally found a 'vessel.' I didn't know anything about any vessel, but I assumed that by 'original six' he meant the Superior and the other five founding members of the Organization."

Marluxia began pacing the room. "Why would he want to know about the Superior? Howdoes he even _know_ about the Superior?"

"I don't know," responded Larxene. "But it sounded like the two of them had met before."

"What happened next?" asked Axel.

"Nothing. He let me go."

Marluxia raised an eyebrow. "Why would he do that?"

"He wanted me to deliver a message for him." Larxene looked down. "Well two messages actually. The first one is for the Superior and the other founding members. He wants them to know that 'what they fear most cannot be contained for much longer,' and that 'judgment is near.' Whatever that means."

"And the other message?" asked Axel.

Larxene looked away as tears began to form in her eyes once again. She did her best to fight them off, but small trickles still managed to run down her rosy cheeks. "_I _am the other message," she revealed at last, heaving a small sigh before continuing. "He made an example of me. His grievance is only with the Superior and the five original members. He wants the rest of us to stay out of his way."

Axel scoffed. "And by 'the rest of us' he means anyone who's not the Superior, Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, and . . ." Axel cut himself off as a sudden realization dawned upon him.

All eyes were on Axel now.

"What?" asked Marluxia. "You forget his name?"

Axel shook his head. "Lexaeus wasn't here alone."

Marluxia narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Zexion was with him," answered Axel. "The two of them were here in the lower levels of the castle to keep tabs on you, Marluxia. They were also monitoring Riku's progress down in the basement."

Before Marluxia could reply, Larxene intervened. "If Zexion's here then he's a target. We have to get to him now!"

"That won't be necessary," spoke a deep voice from the corner of the room.

Everyone's heads instantly turned towards the source of the voice. The light in the corner from which the voice had originated had dimmed and was replaced by a dark-crimson aura. What looked like a corridor of darkness appeared in the center, however, it seemed more sinister in appearance.

"Who's there?" demanded Axel, chakrams already in hand.

Larxene was mortified and began slowly backing away from the portal. "It's . . . it's him . . ."

Axel glanced at Larxene before turning back towards the corner of the room. "Show yourself!"

As if reacting to Axel's command, the portal seemed to spring to life, as if something inside it had awoken. It grew in size before a figure attired in an Organization uniform emerged from the portal, their face hidden under the hood of the cloak. The newcomer was suspended in mid-air, floating just inches above the marble floor.

Axel prepared to strike, but Marluxia swung his arm out, blocking Axel's path. "Hold it."

Axel seemed annoyed by the intrusion. "What is it?"

Marluxia nodded toward the mysterious intruder. "Look closely."

Heeding Marluxia's advice, Axel squinted as he examined the intruder with added scrutiny. It took him a moment, but Axel soon realized what Marluxia had already discerned. "What the . . . ?"

The revelation was startling. Upon first glance it seemed as if the newcomer was hovering above the ground of his own volition, but upon careful inspection it became clear that the individual's head was drooping and bobbling, almost as if they were unconscious. Furthermore, although difficult to see from a distance due to the black cloak blending in with the darkness of the void behind it, the neck area of the coat was slightly elevated and scrunched together. Assuming that the person was, in fact, unconscious, then it would be plausibly sound to conclude that they were not simply floating as had been originally assumed, but rather they were being suspended by the scruff of the neck by something . . . or _someone_.

Axel gasped. "Jeez, he's being held up!"

"Brandished is more like it," replied Marluxia. "Like a trophy."

"Very perceptive, Marluxia," proclaimed a cold voice that seemed to emanate from the room itself, not an actual person. "But not a trophy, no."

The floating body was suddenly thrown forward, as if cast aside by whomever had spoken. The body crashed hard onto the ground, the hood of the cloak having fallen back revealing the identity of the latest victim.

"Zexion," murmured Marluxia.

Indeed, the Organization's Number VI lay before them, his body motionless and his eyes rolled back into his head. Naminé shrieked in horror at the sight of the dead boy's body, tears filling her eyes. Axel had to look away from his former comrade's now limp corpse. Zexion had been one of the youngest members of Organization XIII and although Axel did not possess the ability to feel any remorse, the sight of someone so young dead before his eyes was somewhat unsettling.

"That's three down," declared the voice. "And three more to go."

Marluxia's patience had peaked. He summoned his scythe before declaring, "Identify yourself!"

"Who I am is of no concern to you," answered the voice. "What you should be concerned with is vacating this castle instantly."

"And why would we do that?" challenged Axel, scanning the room for any hint of movement.

Dark voids suddenly appeared all over the room, covering the walls, floor, and even the ceiling. Axel and Marluxia prepared for an imminent attack as Naminé and Larxene cowered behind them.

"There are now two bodies in this room with whom I've left my mark. Two others endured far worse. More clear I cannot be. Surely you do not wish to share their fate?"

As the voice spoke, a horde of hideous creatures began to emerge from each and every void in the room. Revolting in appearance, each of the monsters was crimson red and black and enveloped completely in dark flames. Each one let out blood-curdling cries of agony as if they were in constant turmoil. They came in varying shapes and sizes, some with more appendages than others in various parts of the body.

Axel was repulsed by the sight of the beastly creatures. "Ugh, what are those things?"

"Nothing I have ever encountered," replied Marluxia.

"These infernal creatures are the lingering remnants of damned souls," explained the voice. "With no corporeal body to return to, the souls take the monstrous form you see before you in order to reenter the realm of the living."

"How exactly do damned souls return to this plain if they're dead?" inquired Marluxia.

"Because I allow it," replied the voice.

Marluxia was slightly unnerved by the comment. "For what purpose?"

"Because I demand it."

"Listen buddy," declared Axel in a cocky tone. "These freakshows of yours don't scare me. I command the element of fire, thus I am immune to her touch."

The voice did not sound impressed. "Don't be foolish. The Earthly flame you wield is nothing compared to the fires of Hell."

Naminé covered her ears in order to block out the terribly loud screeches that never seemed to cease. "What are we going to do?!" she cried.

"We have to get out of here," said Marluxia suddenly. "Now."

Axel shot him a look of incredulity. "What?! Are you kidding me? We can take these guys!"

Marluxia shook his head. "We're outnumbered against a foe we know absolutely nothing about. He has already demonstrated what he's capable of and it is not something I am entirely confident in facing head on in such an enclosed space. Fleeing is our best option."

Axel was about to object further but he was cut off by Larxene, who walked up to him and delivered a backhand slap to the back of his head.

"Stop trying to play hero," she said, angrily. "Marluxia's right. A fight here would be suicide."

Axel was clearly not in agreement, but did not raise any further objection. He opened a corridor of darkness and gestured for Larxene to enter first. Relieved, she entered the portal with haste, with Axel following close behind her. Marluxia had begun to make his way to the corridor with Naminé following close behind when the voice suddenly spoke again.

"The girl stays."

Marluxia turned, startled by the request. Naminé was mortified.

"What for?" asked Marluxia.

"Your plan to take over the Organization here was a clever one indeed and you could have very well succeeded had I not interfered. For that I apologize. However, the fact remains that your plan is now in shambles and you no longer need the girl. She will remain here."

Marluxia was clearly upset about the recent turn of events but did not object. "Very well."

Naminé was wide-eyed. "Wait! You can't just leave me here!" She grabbed Marluxia's cloak. "Please, take me with you! Don't leave me here!"

"Let go of me," said Marluxia coldly. He brushed Naminé aside and turned around. "This isn't the last you've heard of me," he said as he slowly backed into the corridor of darkness. "Mark my words, you and your pets will answer for what you have done here today."

There was no response as the figure of Marluxia vanished into the dark void before the portal closed for good.

Naminé was now alone in the room, slouched on the cold floor, trembling in fear. She didn't know what to think, what to expect. She was a frightened child that had just been thrown to the wolves.

"Calm yourself, child," said the voice. "No harm will come to you."

Surprised, Naminé took a chance and turned around. Sure enough, the room was empty, the creatures having completely vanished.

"Wha-?"

"You are still needed."

Unsure of what exactly was going on, Naminé rose to her feet. "Needed for what?"

"You have matters to attend to," was the only reply.

Puzzled, Naminé did not know what to say. Before she could question the voice further, however, she was startled by the sound of the doors behind her opening up. Naminé whirled around just in time to see a young boy with spiky brown hair enter the room.

"Naminé?" he asked, bewildered. "What are you doing here?

Naminé stared at the boy, contemplating his question. She tried desperately to provide an answer, but for reasons she could not understand, Naminé could not recall a single thing that had occurred in that room, much less how she herself had gotten there.

"I . . . I don't know."


	3. Order In Turmoil

**X**

**- 2 -**

**Order In Turmoil**

* * *

**The Castle That Never Was**

"Where Nothing Gathers," otherwise known as "The Round Room" by the members of Organization XIII, was a circular room located deep within the Organization's floating stronghold high above the City That Never Was. It was in this room that the Nobodies of Organization XIII regularly convened to discuss developments and other issues amongst each other. Thirteen throne-like chairs, each of varying height, circumnavigated the entire space. Currently there were five individuals in the room, however, at the present time only four seats were occupied. The fifth individual stood in the center of the room, a white Organization emblem engraved into the marble beneath his feet.

Having normally entered and appeared directly into his respective seat via corridor of darkness, Marluxia had only ever stood on the floor of The Round Room once, that being the day of his induction into the ranks of Organization XIII. He briefly recalled the "momentous" occasion, as the Superior had put it. The memory was still fresh in his mind, and rightly so considering it had not been long ago that Xigbar had brought him before the others to be initiated. But Marluxia was well aware that his time with the Organization was over. The seat behind him and to the left no longer belonged to him nor did the cloak he wore. Following the turn of events at Castle Oblivion, he had been stripped of his rank and branded a traitor. That he was still alive was a miracle in itself. However, having been a key witness to recent occurrences, Marluxia had been ordered to present a detailed briefing of everything that had transpired in Castle Oblivion. Until all relevant details of what had occurred were gathered, Marluxia could not yet be disposed of. And much had occurred.

Marluxia had only just finished filling in the others and now waited in silence as high above him three of the four individuals deliberated amongst themselves, their towering chairs looming high over him. Marluxia did not expect to live much longer, yet the fear of death never came. Since returning to the Castle That Never Was, not once had he contemplated his own demise, his thoughts elsewhere. His mind kept returning to the top of Castle Oblivion and the sinister entity that had crushed his rebellion. He was furious with the one who had ruined his plot, but he was also curious about the "man in the mask," as Larxene had called him, and his connection to the Organization. But he knew his curiosity would never be appeased, for he was only moments away from execution.

"Is that all?" asked a voice from above suddenly. It was the blue-haired Saïx, Organization XIII's Number VII and right-hand to the Superior. Saïx's gold eyes bore down on Marluxia with utter contempt. He was seated to the left of Xaldin, the Organization's Number III, who in turn sat to the left of the Superior.

"No," replied Marluxia. "There is one more thing." He had purposely left out one crucial element from his statement with intentions of bringing it up at a more opportune moment.

Saïx seemed irritated. "With every syllable you utter, traitor, I grow more and more aggravated," he spat. "Finish speaking your piece so that we may dispense your punishment."

A chuckle emanated from the seat on the Superior's immediate right. "Saïx, dude, you sound like you've been waiting at the dinner table for everyone to finish eating so you can get to the dessert," declared the one-eyed Xigbar, Number II within the Organization's ranks. "Relax man, the traitor's not going anywhere."

"Xigbar is right," added Xaldin. "Three of our order are dead. Two more have betrayed us. He will get what is coming to him, but first we need facts."

Saïx was not used to others having to calm him down, but he nonetheless heeded the remarks of his fellow comrades and motioned for Marluxia to continue.

Marluxia understood his life was just about up. He had nothing left to look forward to save pressing a few more of Saïx's buttons and possibly getting some answers to the dozens of questions racing through his mind, however irrelevant they might be at this point. He was staring directly into the darkness of the Superior's hood, and although he could not see the man's face, Marluxia could feel the Superior's eyes on him. The Superior had not spoken a single word since they had all convened, nor had his posture shifted in the slightest. He sat with his arms upon the armrests of his seat, his hands gripping their edges, and his back straight. Marluxia could only wonder what the man must be thinking.

"Larxene was given a message to pass on to the founding members," Marluxia revealed. As a subtle insult, he added, "Or in this case, what's left of them."

Marluxia braced himself for any attack they might launch at him, but none came. However, Xigbar and Xaldin seemed visibly upset.

After a brief pause, Marluxia continued. "According to Larxene, the man who killed the others wanted the rest of you to know that 'what you fear most cannot be contained for much longer.' He said that 'judgment is near.'"

Marluxia noticed that while Saïx did not seem to understand the message, Xigbar and Xaldin were utterly perturbed. Seeing the distressed looks on their faces was just another minute victory Marluxia would savor before his inevitable end.

"Clearly someone has it out for you all," deduced Marluxia, grinning smugly. "Well, not you Saïx, but definitely these three." He was making a bold move by going on the offensive, but he had little concern for his own safety at this point.

"Now, it is blatantly obvious that this someone was no doubt acquainted with the Organization during its early years. Someone who coincidentally has never once been mentioned by any of you. So, with all this old history coming to light, I have to ask, what else have you been hiding from us? Hmm, Xemnas?"

Marluxia's comment struck a nerve with Saïx, sending him over the edge. "You dare speak out of turn whilst in the Superior's presence?!" he roared. "I will have your head!"

Marluxia had never seen Saïx so angry before and was slightly unnerved by his reaction. However, feigning nonchalance, he scoffed and said nothing more.

"Fascinating," said Xaldin, his chin resting upon his fist. "Not only does he have the gall to address the Superior directly, despite having been found a turncoat, but he does so with intentions to question him. Fascinating indeed."

"I think we've heard everything we need to know," added Xigbar. "The traitor's tone of voice suggests that he no longer cares about this order, and judging by his utter lack of respect towards his superiors, I'd say he's just begging for a death sentence. I say we oblige him."

"Enough," declared a deep voice suddenly.

All eyes turned to the tallest chair in the room and the one who sat atop it. The man removed his hood and leaned forward.

Superior of the In-Between, ruler of the World That Never Was, and Rank I within Organization XIII, the silver-haired Xemnas was the highest-ranking member of the Nobody order. Yet despite the clear insult and mockery from Marluxia, Xemnas merely sneered at him, as if Marluxia's comments were something of an amusement.

"My lord Xemnas, this man is a traitor," stated Saïx. "His mere presence here is an abortion of everything we have strived for. The Organization has no place for the likes of him. The standing order, enacted by you, is to eliminate any and all forms of dissent. I humbly request that you allow me the honor and privilege of disposing of this trash. You have my word that I will translate your wrath with nothing less than a punishment worthy of only the worst vermin."

"Be calm, Saïx," said Xemnas, his voice completely devoid of any emotion. "And do not think to remind me of my own orders."

"My lord, I did not mean-"

Xemnas fixed Saïx with an intense glare, putting his second-in-command in his place.

Xemnas returned his gaze to Marluxia, sneering once more. "Marluxia, does your pomposity know no bounds?"

Marluxia fixed him with another smug look. "Sometimes I just don't know my own impudence. One of my flaws, I suppose."

"One of many," added Xemnas quickly.

The grin that was etched across Marluxia's face vanished.

Xemnas stared down at Marluxia for a few moments before saying, "I wish to be alone with the traitor."

Xigbar, Xaldin, and Saïx looked at him in puzzlement, as if they were unsure of what their Superior had just requested.

Xemnas noticed that none of them had made a move to leave, so he spoke again, this time in a much louder tone. "Was I not clear? I said leave us."

The others immediately snapped out of their stupor. Xigbar and Xaldin instantly vanished into corridors of darkness. Saïx, on the other hand, took a second to fix Marluxia with another look of contempt before finally taking his leave.

With the room now empty save for the two of them, Xemnas dissolved into his own corridor of darkness, only to reappear standing before Marluxia. He took a step forward and locked eyes with Marluxia, his hands behind his back. For what seemed like an eternity, Xemnas just stared at Marluxia as if studying him. His face was impassive, thus Marluxia had no idea what was going through the Superior's head. The silence continued, yet Xemnas' gaze did not waver. The situation was bordering on awkward when finally Xemnas broke eye contact. He looked to his left and let out a disappointed sigh.

Marluxia was certain the end was nigh. _And so it ends_, he thought to himself. _This is it_.

He had been ready for whatever wraithlike horrors Xemnas would undoubtedly unleash upon him. He foresaw a horde of Heartless swallowing him whole and devouring what remained of him. Or perhaps a Darkside would be more fitting? No, Xemnas was too dramatic to think so small. No doubt whatever he had in mind for Marluxia would be something on a grand scale. Yet, for all the devastating plagues Marluxia expected Xemnas to summon up upon him, Marluxia was unprepared for the one thing he never saw coming.

The blow connected directly with Marluxia's left cheek sending a surge of unfamiliar sensation throughout the entirety of his face. The move had been so unexpected and had come so swiftly that it took Marluxia many moments to process what had just occurred. For all his otherworldly abilities and extraordinary power, Xemnas had elected to go with the most simple and primitive of actions - a physical slap to the face. The blow had not been a powerful one; in fact, although unexpected, Marluxia had not even moved, let alone flinched after being hit. The area on his cheek where the gloved hand had made contact stung, and Marluxia could not recall the last time he had incurred physical pain, much less humiliation.

"I must say I am genuinely impressed, Marluxia," declared Xemnas as if nothing had happened. He was circling around Marluxia slowly. "It isn't easy to anger Saïx, yet you seem to have done so with relative ease. I cannot recall the last time I saw Saïx so visibly upset. In fact, now that I think about it, in all the years I have been acquainted with him, I have never once known Saïx to want anything as badly as his current desire to destroy you. Except maybe wanting a heart. Nevertheless . . . bravo." He finished the statement with applause.

Marluxia followed Xemnas with his eyes, and stared straight ahead whenever Xemnas walked behind him, fully expecting an Ethereal Blade to pierce his torso each time he did so.

"I bet you didn't know that beneath the cool exterior and calm demeanor, Saïx actually harbors intense feelings of rage and fury," said Xemnas. "Sometimes I wonder how he puts up with my strict regimen. He is a very, very violent man. However, his true self can only emerge beneath the light of the moon, hence his title, 'The Luna Divider.' But what am I saying? Of course you wouldn't know any of that. After all, how could I expect a traitor to know anything personal about his brothers, right?"

Xemnas was trying to shame Marluxia into submission. A futile effort, for he was neither ashamed of his actions, nor did he regret them. Every choice he had made had been the right one and if given a second chance he would change nothing . . . with the exception of killing Axel rather than trusting him.

"But Saïx is a fascinating creature," continued Xemnas. "On those rare occasions that he does lose his temper, one can almost pity whomever he has his sights set on. When the floodgates open and his emotions take over – when he goes berserk – ah, it is a rare treat indeed. I've got half a mind to toss you underneath the moon and unleash him upon you if for nothing else than to watch him have his way with a hated prey. I'm sure the others could use some enjoyable entertainment, what with so many of our brothers gone now."

"Feigning emotion, Xemnas?" asked Marluxia. "That's not like you. Remember, you're the leader of Organization XIII. You've got to set the example."

Xemnas was on him before he had finished the sentence. The Superior rushed forward, grabbing Marluxia by the coat, and thrust him across the room. Marluxia's back collided against one of the chairs – his own – but before he could even reel in pain, a beam of red light positioned before his throat stopped him in his place.

Xemnas gripped the hilt of his Ethereal Blade tightly, holding it only inches from Marluxia's flesh. Marluxia's eyes and chin were both pointed upward, trying his best to maintain as far a distance as possible between his throat and the beam of energy. It took him a moment to realize that his heart was pounding, and although his mouth was tightly shut, he was breathing rapidly through the nose.

"Why did you return to here, Marluxia?" asked Xemnas, reveling in Marluxia's plight. "You willingly walked back into this castle to face judgment despite having betrayed us. Surely you must have known it would come to this."

Marluxia said nothing, his eyes focused on the endless abyss of white above him.

"I always took you as a vain and proud individual, Marluxia. Someone who would rather die than face the humiliation of punishment by one he loathes so much. But I was mistaken. Instead you fled at the first sign of danger. Fled right back to us. Coward."

Still Marluxia remained silent.

Xemnas chuckled. "Very well then. Are you prepared to meet your end, traitor?"

Marluxia finally managed to lower his gaze in order to lock eyes with Xemnas. The look on his face was filled with utter revulsion for the man who, in his eyes, was leading the Organization to its demise. After another moment, Marluxia simply answered, "On with it then."

Xemnas looked ready to deliver the killing blow. "Saïx thirsts for your blood, Marluxia, possibly even more than I do. And while every fiber of my being wants nothing more than to feed you to him and watch as he rips you to pieces . . ." He paused for a moment as if contemplating the situation. ". . . I must unfortunately deny him, and by extension myself, the pleasure of doing so."

Marluxia was unsure of what to say. It wasn't until Xemnas backed off and recalled his Ethereal Blade that bewilderment kicked in.

"What is this?" demanded Marluxia, rubbing his throat.

Xemnas opened a corridor of darkness before them. "You still have work to do."

Minutes later Xemnas asked Xigbar, Xaldin, and Saïx to rejoin him in The Round Room. The four of them had convened in the center of the area rather than in their seats – a rare occurrence, especially for the Superior.

"My lord," asked Saïx looking around. "May I ask what has become of the traitor?"

Xemnas stood with his back to the others, staring into the void of nothingness before him. "Marluxia is on an assignment."

Although he could not see them, Xemnas was sure his subordinates were shocked by the turn of events. He waited for one of them to speak, but none of them did.

"I have sent Marluxia and Larxene back to Castle Oblivion in search of more answers," explained Xemnas. "If who I am thinking of really is there, then it is an almost guaranteed suicide mission. If, however, the two of them somehow manage to return, you have my personal authorization to eliminate them however you see fit."

"What if they decide to flee?" inquired Xaldin.

Xemnas turned to face them. "Impossible. They have been stripped of their ability to summon corridors of darkness. If they do not return using the portal I provided for them, then they can only remain in Castle Oblivion. Either way, the odds are most certainly not on their side."

Xigbar scratched his head. "Not to question your orders, but may I ask why you elected to send them on an assignment instead of just eliminating them? I mean, they're traitors after all."

"We needed someone to gather intelligence within Castle Oblivion," Xemnas explained. "Our numbers are slim. Why risk one of our own when we can sacrifice useless pawns instead? If the two of them succeed, we gain valuable information and you get to eliminate them. If they fail . . . then they both suffer a horrific end. Either way they get what they deserve all the while we remain safe."

"Horrific end, my lord?" asked Saïx. He looked around at the others before continuing. "May I ask what exactly it is we are dealing with here?"

No one said anything, prompting Saïx to speak again.

"I did not ask about this 'man in the mask' in front of Marluxia for obvious reasons, but seeing as I am your second-in-command, my lord, I feel I am entitled to some answers. Now clearly the three of you know who this man is. Why is this the first time I am hearing about him?"

"The deception was for your safety," declared Xaldin. "For everyone's safety. We dealt with this problem years ago and vowed to never speak of it again."

Saïx turned toward Xaldin. "I hate to break it to you, but recent events would rule in favor of the 'problem' not being dealt with efficiently enough. Now if this issue is a direct threat to the Organization then I have a right to know what exactly we are up against."

"Saïx, man, trust us on this one, this is something you're better off not knowing about," said Xigbar.

"No," declared Xemnas suddenly. "Saïx is right. Considering the recent turn of events, I feel he should know the truth. It would be a betrayal to him if we kept him in the dark."

Xigbar and Xaldin exchanged looks of unease but did not object.

"Saïx, you must understand that we all swore an oath to never speak of this matter again for as long as we lived," stated Xemnas. "I break that oath now only because I feel that we can no longer ignore the issue."

"I understand, my lord," said Saïx.

Xemnas nodded. "Very well." He paused for a moment as he allowed all the forgotten memories to slowly return. After a moment's hesitation, he began. "When Organization XIII was first founded, there were not six, but seven founding members."

A look of surprise crossed Saïx's face, but he did not speak.

"Years ago, long before the accident that resulted in our Nobody existence, a man arrived in Radiant Garden. He claimed he was a traveler and that he had visited many worlds. Ansem the Wise, our master at the time, welcomed him into the castle hoping to use his knowledge to fuel our research. The rest of us were skeptical of his intentions at the time, but once he shared his knowledge with us and we realized the potential impact it could have, our skepticism was replaced by curiosity. For years we worked together unlocking all the secrets of the worlds. His experience combined with our resources resulted in many scientific breakthroughs, the most important being the discovery of the Heartless."

Saïx was perplexed. "What?"

Xemnas nodded. "Yes. Without him we would have never discovered the existence of the Heartless nor would we have learned that worlds, like people, also possess hearts." Xemnas closed his eyes as his mind flashed back to the past. "He became somewhat of a father figure to us, myself in particular. For some reason he took a great interest in my progress, and not just in my work, but also as an individual. He pushed us to go further than we had ever dared. He was there for each and every experiment we conducted. He was present at the time that we banished Ansem the Wise to the realm of darkness. He was the one who suggested I begin archiving my thoughts and discoveries in what would eventually become the Ansem Reports. He was there every step of them way, subtly moving us where he wanted, like pieces on a chessboard. At the time we were so consumed in our work that we failed to realize he had his own agenda. That all changed after the incident."

Saïx realized that Xemnas was about to touch on a particularly touchy subject. He paced slowly around the room as the Superior continued his tale.

"We were working in the main lab one evening when it happened. We had opened a temporary portal into the Realm of Darkness in order to study the Heartless. By that point opening doorways like that had become standard practice. However, this particular portal could not sustain its own weight and suddenly collapsed without warning . . . a clear miscalculation on someone's part." As he said this, Xemnas turned toward Xigbar. "Someone who will not be named."

"Oh, come on!" groaned Xigbar. "Again with the blame? How many times have we gone over this? I told you it was Vexen who underestimated the stability of the portal." In a high-pitched, mocking tone he said, "'Of course the doorway will hold! How dare you question my unparalleled genius?' That overconfident son of a –"

"Regardless," interrupted Xemnas. "What followed was a devastating explosion that rocked the very foundations of the castle. We were all caught in the blast – all seven of us. Yet when it was over, only six of us had become Nobodies. Our 'friend,' on the other hand, had remained completely unchanged and unharmed. That was the first time I began to suspect that there was something not right about him."

Saïx seemed confused. "How did he survive the blast?"

"I'm getting to that," replied Xemnas. "Shortly afterward, we changed our names and founded the Organization, again at his suggestion, and when we convened for the first time, he became the seventh person to officially wear the coat."

Saïx's face was impassive. "You allowed a non-Nobody to join the Organization?"

"The man lived and worked with us for years," said Xemnas. "We were a unit. Each and every one of us had contributed equally to our work. Had I not made him a member he would have surely suspected that I no longer trusted him."

Saïx nodded his understanding. Xemnas was certain that learning he was not the original Number VII of Organization XIII was shocking news for his second-in-command.

"You said it was at that point that you all changed your names?" mentioned Saïx. "Did he do so as well?"

Xemnas made a circle in the air with his finger, as if he were drawing something. "He never actually told us his real name, but when we all took up our Nobody names, he elected to follow suit."

Xigbar chuckled. "Remove the 'X' and rearrange the letters. It didn't take a scientist to figure out what his real name was," he said.

Xemnas nodded. "That was probably the most we ever learned about him."

"And what, may I ask, was his name?" asked Saïx cautiously. He could hardly contain his curiosity.

"Irrelevant," asserted Xemnas instantly. "You only need to know of his existence, nothing more."

Saïx realized he had touched a nerve. "Of course, my lord."

Xemnas cleared his throat before continuing. "The more time passed the more I began to notice his manipulation of the others . . . of myself. I realized that after all those years, he knew so much about us, yet we knew absolutely nothing about him. So one day I asked him if I could examine the markings on his mask."

"Mask?" inquired Saïx.

But it was Xigbar who answered. "Yeah, the dude wore this crazy red mask with all these weird symbols on it. Now that I think about it, it was pretty freaky."

"So you're saying that you never once saw his face?" asked Saïx. "After all those years you never inquired about it? You never asked his name? And what about his past? Where did he come from?"

This time it was Xaldin's turn to answer. "You must understand that at the time we were all completely absorbed in our work. We had given into darkness and cared little for anything else. We acknowledged that there was a man in a mask who lived and worked with us, but our self-centeredness and utter disregard for anything other than our research blinded us. Plus, he contributed greatly to our work. In a sense, we chose to see only what we wanted to see."

"That might be true, but I still say that he must have been doing something to us," declared Xigbar. "Some sort of subtle mind control or something. I mean come on, Saïx has a point. We knew the guy for years. How did six people who lived and worked alongside a complete stranger for such a long time not ever once think to ask the dude where he was from or what his name was? That's not normal."

"Nevertheless," said Xemnas, "for reasons I have yet to understand even to this day, he allowed me to study his mask. It took some time, but after many months of analyzation, I came to discover that the markings dated back hundreds of thousands of years. Possibly even as far back as the creation of the Universe."

Saïx exchanged glances with Xigbar, who nodded as if confirming that he was hearing correctly.

"What was even more shocking was that the markings were directly linked to an ancient evil the likes of which none of us had ever imagined. Up until that point we only knew of the existence of the power of light and darkness. Never had I even conceived that there existed another force out there. While light and dark are two sides of the same coin, this was something else entirely.

Then one day I had the misfortune of making direct contact with that infernal mask. I was not wearing my gloves and I touched the surface of it. What I saw, what I felt . . . even as a Nobody . . . was nothing short of terror. It was evil incarnate. Born of hatred and anger and suffering and pain. Spawned from damnation. The power he possessed, Saïx . . . it was horrific . . . it was unfathomable." Xemnas lowered his voice almost to a whisper and uttered the next sentence more to himself than the others. "It was godlike."

Xemnas paused for another moment before moving on. "After that I knew we could not allow him to remain amongst us any longer. He was a direct threat not only to our ultimate goal, but to the entire Universe. The following night the six of us confronted him. Even with our combined power we stood absolutely no chance of defeating him, so we resorted to the next best thing. We banished him to the realm of darkness. Except unlike Ansem the Wise, we sent him to the deepest, darkest depths of the endless abyss. We placed the most powerful locks and seals at each and every level ensuring he could not escape. It took the full power of each and every one of us.

Zexion was nearly killed, Lexaeus went into a coma for almost a month, and the rest of us were completely drained of power for days. Most of the castle was destroyed as well as parts of the town, but we had succeeded in ridding the Universe of that monster. Once everything had returned to normal we agreed to never again mention the man in the mask. As far as we were concerned, he never existed. We resumed our lives as if nothing had ever happened. Two weeks later you and Axel were recruited into the Organization."

"The rest, as they say, is history," chimed Xaldin.

Saïx did not know what to say. "This . . . is a lot to take in," he admitted at last.

Xemnas nodded. "Indeed. No doubt you will have more questions in the future. But this matter will be discussed no further. It is never to be brought up again, nor should I have to remind you that what we have discussed here today does not leave this room."

Saïx seemed perturbed by his master's order. "My lord, grateful as I am that you shared this . . . revelation with me, wouldn't it be prudent for the others to apprised of the situation?"

Xemnas shook his head. "Absolutely not. So far nothing dire has occurred, therefore I see no need for anyone else to know. He may have gotten through some of our seals, but the majority of them are still intact. Even if he does manage to escape, it won't be for some time, and by that point Kingdom Hearts will already be complete and our power secure. Unless something drastic happens, the other members are to be kept in the dark. The last thing we need is doubt and uncertainty floating about, what with so few of us left."

Saïx couldn't help but feel a little distraught by the fact the Xemnas did not consider the loss of five members to be dire. "What about Axel? He was present when this man made his presence known. He will no doubt have questions about the whole affair."

"Make it clear that Castle Oblivion was a special assignment and that he is not to discuss the details of what occurred there with the others."

"As you wish, my lord. What then is our next course of action?"

Xemnas opened a corridor of darkness, disappeared inside it, and emerged back in his seat. The others followed suit.

"Nothing changes," stated Xemnas. "Yes, what happened at Castle Oblivion was unforeseeable, and yes, it has introduced an unknowable variable. However, the completion of Kingdom Hearts is still our primary objective. We must remain diligent."

"I agree," said Saïx. "What would you have me do?"

Xemnas rubbed his chin. "As a precaution, I am moving up our schedule. I want Roxas and Xion on heart collection whenever we can spare it. And double their daily quotas. Make it clear to them that there is no room for error."

Saïx nodded. "Understood."

"Good," said Xemnas. "Xigbar? Xaldin? Have you anything to say before we adjourn?"

Xaldin, his eyes closed and his arms crossed, said nothing.

Xigbar shook his head. "You pretty much covered it all, boss."

"Very well then. This meeting is now adjourned. Get to work, gentlemen." And with that, Xemnas vanished.

"Hey, Saïx!"

Saïx had just stepped out of his corridor of darkness and into The Grey Area. He turned to face the one who had called him. Axel was jogging towards him.

"What is it?"

Axel seemed puzzled. "What do you mean 'what is it?' You guys were in there forever. What was so important that the rest of us weren't allowed in?"

"Nothing," answered Saïx, making his way across the room toward the giant glass window that looked out over the rest of the castle. "Just discussing recent events. By the way, good work at Castle Oblivion."

"Aha!" exclaimed Axel falling in line next to Saïx. "Dishing out a compliment? You? Now I know something's up."

Saïx glanced over Axel's shoulder and spotted Demyx lounging on one of the sofas, sitar in hand. Save for the three of them, the room was empty.

"Think what you want," said Saïx. "We had to deal with Marluxia and Larxene, as well as make sense of what happened over in Castle Oblivion. You were there, so you of all people should understand that the circumstances here are highly irregular. Much deliberation was required."

"Uh huh. And what exactly happened to Marluxia and Larxene?"

"Not your concern."

"Hey, come on. I have a right to know," declared Axel. "After all, I was the super slick double agent who got the job done. No easy task by the way."

"You presented your report and provided intelligence on the situation," responded Saïx. "Nothing more is required of you."

"Alright, alright. Don't tell me then. But what about that guy who killed the others and those creatures under his control? The guy did a real number on Larxene."

"What happened to Larxene was child's play compared to what I would have inflicted on her. She should be grateful. As for the other development . . . a minor irregularity, but it's being dealt with, Axel. Now stop asking me questions and go away. I've got a lot of work to do."

"Fine, but don't think I don't realize that something weird is going on around here. What happened over there was not normal." Axel turned to make his leave. "Hey, Demyx! You up to anything? What am I saying? Of course you're not. How about some sparring? What? No, Roxas is on assignment. Why do you think I'm asking you? Stop being lazy, man!"

Saïx watched Axel as he made his way toward Demyx, a part of him wishing he could tell his former companion what he had just learned. He was having a difficult time processing everything Xemnas had revealed to him. He still could not believe that he was technically not the seventh member of Organization XIII. Not only was the original Number VII a founding member of the Organization, which was startling news on its own, but according to the others, he was also a terrifyingly powerful being. "It was godlike." That was the word Xemnas had used to describe the unknown man's power – godlike. Saïx could not even fathom such power. _How could such a being exist?_ he thought to himself. _It's ludicrous!_ The whole situation was very overwhelming.

What was even more startling was that if the man was as powerful as Xemnas claimed, how then could the Superior be so calm about the whole situation? The only thing standing between the unknown man and his freedom was a few layers of spells, and if Xemnas' story was a valid indicator of the man's power, then it would not be long before his return. And if that happened then the Organization's plans would essentially be destroyed. As Saïx saw it, they were all in grave danger. Why then was Xemnas not taking the situation more seriously? Shouldn't they all be focusing their attention on this immediate threat before it gets out of hand, instead of keeping half of the Organization in the dark about it and proceeding as if everything was perfectly normal? _What the hell is going on?_

Yet despite all of Saïx's misgivings about their current predicament, Xemnas had made it clear that the subject did not sit well with him, and Saïx did not dare to bring it up again. He looked over at Axel who was now seated across from Demyx.

"'Something weird' is an understatement, old friend," he muttered. _A complete disaster is more like it._

**Castle Oblivion**

"This must be some kind of nightmare. I can't be back here."

Larxene, still in a weakened state after having been brutally tortured, was cowering behind Marluxia. Her wounds had not healed and she could barely stand, so she was using Marluxia's shoulder as a crutch.

They were in one of the main foyers of Castle Oblivion, the two of them having been forced to return to the castle by Xemnas in order to gather additional intelligence. However, Marluxia was fully aware that their "assignment" was nothing more than a suicide mission. It was a way for Xemnas to get the last laugh, which Marluxia realized, he most certainly had. Whether they lived through the mission or not, they were as good as dead. Now it was just a matter of when death would come for them.

"I . . . I can't be here right now," muttered Larxene. "This . . . this isn't happening. This can't be happening!"

"Dammit, woman!" spat Marluxia, whirling around to face her. He grabbed her by the arms and shook her in order to snap her out of her stupor. "Pull yourself together!"

"I . . . I . . . "

"It would seem the two of you have been thrown to the wolves," spoke a cold voice suddenly.

Marluxia whirled around instantly, releasing Larxene from his grasp.

"Oh no," muttered a frightened Larxene. She fell to the floor in a crumpled heap.

"I've had enough of these games!" shouted an enraged Marluxia. "Show yourself and let's get this over with!"

"So, you are prepared to meet your maker then?"

"Do your worst," declared Marluxia, summoning his scythe. "But don't expect me to go down quietly."

"Very well," answered the voice.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

A lot of dialogue, I know, I know, but I promise it's going somewhere. I should mention that although we're already two chapters into the story, everything up until this point is technically still a prologue. Starting with the next chapter, focus will finally shift to Sora and the gang and the real adventure will begin. I just really had to take my time with the setup or else you all wouldn't be adequately prepared for what's coming.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Hope everything's been enjoyable so far. Feel free to drop a comment in the review section.


	4. A Fight To The Death

**X**

**- 3 -**

**A Fight To The Death**

* * *

**The Castle That Never Was**

**One Year Later**

_Now what? _thought a spiky-haired boy to himself.

Sora, the fifteen-year-old wielder of the Keyblade, gripped the hilt of his Ultima Weapon tightly as he gazed around the new area he now stood in. He had dropped into a combat stance the moment he had arrived, alert and ready for any sign of danger. He was in the process of attempting to figure out what had just happened when movement to his left caught his attention. He spun around to face the source, but instantly let out a sigh of relief. Riku, who seemed equally befuddled, had apparently been transported here as well. The question was, where exactly was "here?"

"Hey, you okay?" asked Riku as he made his way over to Sora.

"Yeah, I'm alright," answered Sora. "Any idea where we are?"

Riku passed a hand through his bluish-silver hair in order to clear it from his eyesight. In his other hand he held his own Keyblade, Way to the Dawn. "No idea."

The two of them were in what seemed like a swirling void of light and dark, and judging by the look of things, the abyss seemed to go on forever without end.

"Did we get him?" asked Sora, still looking around.

"I think not," answered a deep voice suddenly.

Both Sora and Riku jumped at the sound of the voice, Keyblades at the ready.

"You've got to be kidding me," declared Riku.

Standing before them was Xemnas, still very much alive.

"Don't you know when to quit?" demanded Sora.

Xemnas had thrown everything at them. He had utilized the power of Kingdom Hearts to summon the World Of Nothingness, a colossal dragon-like warship that completely devastated the World That Never Was. Sora and Riku encountered Xemnas atop the gargantuan vessel, seated upon a throne and wearing some sort of powerful armor. After facing the armored Xemnas and seemingly destroying the World Of Nothingness, Xemnas reappeared, separating the two of them from King Mickey and the others, somehow revived the warship, and transported them all to an alternate dimension where the two Keyblade wielders once again went head-to-head with the massive monstrosity, this time dodging skyscrapers and other debris along the way. They had found Xemnas still seated in his throne and clashed with the Nobody leader once more. But despite their best efforts, Xemnas just wouldn't go down.

After a long and grueling duel with the two Keyblade wielders, Xemnas had managed to conjure up what little power he could muster and achieve his Final Form. As a result of his new mastery of both the powers of light and darkness, Xemnas' Organization robes had changed from solid black to white with black symbols scrawled all over it.

"Heroes from the Realm of Light!" declared Xemnas suddenly. "I will not allow it to end this way! Not yet! If light and darkness are eternal then surely we Nothings must be the same – eternal!"

"You're right," replied Riku. "Light and darkness are eternal. Nothing probably goes on forever too. But guess what, Xemnas?"

Sora was more than happy to finish his friend's statement. "That doesn't mean _you're_ eternal!"

Xemnas couldn't help but laugh. "No more eternal than that radiance of yours." And on that note, he lifted into the air and prepared for one final assault.

Sora and Riku exchanged glances, nodded toward each other, and fell into defensive postures.

_This is it, _thought Sora. _The fate of the Universe rests on our shoulders. Donald, Goofy, King Mickey . . . Kairi. This one's for you guys. Let's end this._

Sparks flew from Xemnas' hands as he readied to strike. "Anger and hate are supreme!"

Xemnas was on Sora before he could react. He warped out of view before immediately reappearing in front of Sora.

"You shall go together!" cried Xemnas.

Grabbing Sora by his shirt, Xemnas spun him around, and threw him up in the air. Xemnas summoned an Ethereal Blade and shot up after him, intending to end the battle as quickly as possible. But Riku jumped in front of him at the last moment and delivered a vertical slash directed at Xemnas' head. Xemnas easily dodged the attack, and that was when the battle really began.

Xemnas began rapidly warping from one location to another, swinging his Ethereal Blades with wild precision while leaving streaks of darkness in his wake. Despite being completely drained of energy from the previous battles with Xemnas, Sora and Riku were remarkably able to keep up with him, countering and reversing each and every attack. The three of them remained suspended in mid-air, engaged in a torrent of rapid-fire combat, swinging their respective weapons like madmen.

Although Sora and Riku were in perfect synchronization with each other's movements, however, their combined effort did not seem to be slowing Xemnas down in the slightest, and Sora was beginning to lose his composure.

_Come on, Sora! _he told himself. _This thing's only just started! You can't_ _falter now!_ _You've gotta ignore the pain! Fight through it! _Sora forced himself to visualize the Universe overrun by Heartless and ruled over by Xemnas. _No! I won't let that happen!_

Without entirely knowing how, Sora exploded in a rage of fury and unleashed a violent flurry of strikes, forcing Xemnas to take defensive measures.

"Be gone!" exclaimed Xemnas as he warped directly above them. Extending his hand, he shot two large orbs of bright energy at them, which the two of them quickly blocked with their blades. However, the orbs exploded upon making contact with their weapons, sending Sora and Riku flying in opposite directions.

Sora allowed himself to free-fall for a split second, using the time to catch his breath. Utilizing his Glide ability, he whirled himself around in mid-air and shot toward Xemnas at breakneck speed.

"Guard!" yelled Xemnas, throwing his hand up quickly.

A wall of protective energy materialized in front of Xemnas only seconds before Sora had reached him. Sora held out his Ultima Weapon and shot right through the barrier, shattering it in the process. Xemnas propelled himself forward, re-igniting his Ethereal Blades as he did so. The two of them clashed blades, their faces only inches from each other. They caught each others' gaze for a split second, before quickly pulling away from each other and resuming the battle.

They began exchanging blows, with Xemnas once again swinging his blades wildly, and Sora parrying each of his attacks as best he could. Sora knew he had to think of something quick before Xemnas' blitz wore him out again. Luckily for Sora, Xemnas' attention broke for the slightest of seconds when he was distracted by the sight of Riku making his way to them. That was all the time Sora needed. Spotting a momentary opening in Xemnas' defense, Sora put as much strength as his body would allow into a single, powerful downward swing. The attack caught Xemnas completely by surprise. He raised one of his blades in an attempt to defend against the strike, but to no avail. The blow sent Xemnas hurtling hundreds of feet down, but Sora wasn't finished.

Raising his Ultima Weapon over his head so that it pointed straight up, Sora summoned the power of magic and cried, "Thunder!"

Almost immediately, a surge of electricity rained from above, directly over Xemnas. The magic attack struck the Nobody leader in his back, causing a violent explosion. The blast completely engulfed Xemnas' body, and he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Riku, having been closer to the blast than Sora, arrived first, but could not see past the thick haze of smoke. Before he could make another move, however, Xemnas shot out of the smoke in a fury, his arm extended toward Riku.

"Bind!" bellowed Xemnas as streaks of light and dark flew from his hand.

Riku was caught off-guard, but managed to deflect one of the streaks at the last second. The second streak hit him square in the chest, sending him reeling. But Riku was tough and recovered just quickly enough to defend against a flurry of attacks from Xemnas' Ethereal Blades. Sora quickly raced to his friend's aid, but Xemnas was ready for this. Maintaining his offensive with Riku, Xemnas summoned a pair of copies of himself to intercept Sora. Sora stopped in his tracks as the two duplicates surrounded him, each with its own set of Ethereal Blades.

_I don't have time for this,_ thought Sora, as he watched the fight between Riku and Xemnas rage on. _I've gotta get over there._

The Xemnas duplicates were closing the gap between themselves and Sora, but he was not about to let them corner him. Facing one of the duplicates, he lifted his Ultima Weapon as if he were preparing to strike. Then, without warning, he whirled around to face the second copy and hurled the weapon at it. The clone was not quick enough to dodge, and the Keyblade pierced its body. The copy vanished instantly as Sora's Keyblade returned to his hand like a boomerang. The remaining copy lunged at him, but Sora easily evaded the attack and delivered a single horizontal slash, ending the duplicate.

With the two copies vanquished, Sora returned his attention to Riku and Xemnas. Gliding at full speed, he quickly hurried to back up Riku, whose defense against Xemnas' assailment was slowly waning. Sora approached Xemnas from behind in an attempt to catch him by surprise. With only a few feet between them, Sora swung his Keyblade at Xemnas' back, but Xemnas sensed the attack and dodged it at the last second. He backed away from the two of them, and that was when Sora realized that they weren't the only ones being worn down. Xemnas glared at them maliciously as he drew long, deep breathes. Sora and Riku exchanged glances, nodded at each other, and readied yet another offensive. Xemnas wiped his brow before lifting himself into the air.

"Here!"

Suddenly, Xemnas warped out of sight, reappeared to their left, and instantly flew in a perfect circle around them. As he did so, he left dozens of Ethereal Blades floating in mid-air behind him. Before Sora and Riku knew it, they were surrounded by a line of red beams that looked like giant needles, each one aiming directly at them. The beams fired at them all at once, but Sora and Riku easily deflected them. However, Xemnas was not finished. He began repeating the move over and over, yelling "Fire!" each time he sent the beams after them. Sora and Riku were able to deflect and guard against most of the beams, dodging, rolling under, and jumping over the few that got by them.

For each failed attempt, Xemnas grew more and more enraged and sped up the attack. "Why don't you die?" he roared after the last attempt.

Xemnas ceased the repetitive assault and rushed the two of them once more, this time shooting beams at them out of one hand, while swinging his Ethereal Blade at them with the other. He worked his way in between the two of them and fought off Sora with his blade while firing beams at Riku.

_His attacks become more and more ferocious the more we wear him down, _thought Sora, utterly perplexed by Xemnas' speed and strength. _But he's getting sloppy. He can't hold out much longer._

The conflict continued for many minutes as Xemnas began mixing up all of his previous attacks. He fired multiple energy orbs at them that exploded upon making contact with any surface. He summoned more copies of himself, dividing Sora and Riku's attention. The copies now possessed the ability to fire beams of Ethereal Blades as well. While Sora and Riku each dealt with a copy, the real Xemnas lifted himself high above them and began spinning around, sending even more beams raining down upon them, further adding to the chaos. Sora's vision began to blur as streaks of red light dashed about in every direction. Yet despite Xemnas' best efforts, the two Keyblade wielders would not back down.

After cutting down yet another Xemnas copy, Sora was surprised to find that Xemnas' beam raid had stopped. He quickly scanned the room in search of the real Xemnas, but stopped when he saw Riku, who had just dispatched another duplicate. Sora was about to ask Riku where Xemnas was, when a sudden surge of pain shot through his body.

Sora cried out in agony as he felt himself slowly being lifted into the air. Xemnas had trapped Sora in an orb of electrical energy that forced his arms and legs to extend straight out.

"Can you spare a heart?" he heard Xemnas ask with cruel amusement.

Every muscle in his body felt as if they were on fire as he continued to cry out in agony. The simple act of trying to open his eyes was an excruciating ordeal, and when he finally got them open he realized nothing outside the orb was visible due to the brightness of the energy being emitted from it. Sparks of energy danced all around him as he desperately tried to move his right hand, which was still clenching the hilt of his Keyblade. Sora quickly realized, however, that movement of any kind was futile. Xemnas was attempting to forcibly extract his heart, and Sora was powerless to stop him.

* * *

Many feet below him, Riku was rushing to Sora's aid. Jumping high into the air, Riku attempted to attack Xemnas head on, but Xemnas reacted at the last second, kicking Riku in the chest, and sending him flying backwards. Riku, landed on his feet, albeit a good distance away from them. He looked up at Sora, and couldn't bear the sight of his friend in such pain. Xemnas was about to extract Sora's heart, and if Riku didn't get to him fast, Sora would be doomed.

"Hang on, Sora!" cried Riku, running at full speed toward Xemnas.

Xemnas was not about to allow Riku to interrupt him, and began summoning more copies of himself to stop Riku. The copies rushed toward Riku, conjuring up barriers in front of him in an attempt to impede his progress. All this achieved was upsetting Riku even more than he already was.

"Outta my way!" he shouted.

Without ever breaking stride, Riku shattered each and every barrier they threw at him with his Way to the Dawn, destroying any copy that attempted to get in his way as he did so. The gap between him and Xemnas was rapidly closing, but still the copies came at him. The closer he got, the more desperate they became to stop him. When he was nearly there, two copies appeared on either side of him and grabbed him by the arms. Riku instantly spun around, and cut the two duplicates down. He was underneath Xemnas now and did not dare waste anymore time. He bent down quickly before propelling himself upwards, exploding like a missile aimed directly at Xemnas.

Riku slashed at the energy emanating from Xemnas' hand, severing the connection he had made with Sora's heart. Xemnas was taken aback by Riku suddenly appearing in front of him and could not react fast enough to stop him. The orb around Sora instantly vanished and he began to fall. However, Sora gathered his bearings at the last second and landed safely. Riku grabbed Xemnas' hand, their fingers interlocking, and the two struggled for a moment. Without warning, Riku lashed out with his Way to the Dawn, striking Xemnas several times. Riku then grabbed Xemnas by the hood of his robe, spun him around, and sent him flying.

"Is that all you got?" shouted Riku as he landed on the ground next to Sora. He turned to Sora and placed an arm on his shoulder. "You okay?"

Sora nodded as he caught his breath. "Yeah. Thanks to you I am."

Riku patted him on the back. "Let's finish this."

* * *

Xemnas could barely stand as he turned to face the two boys who were rushing toward him.

"It's over, Xemnas!" declared Sora.

Xemnas glared at them, fixing each with a look of utter could not believe this was happening. He eyed them both carefully, trying to find some answer as to how the two boys standing before him could overcome his supreme power.

_Your time has come, Xemnas,_ declared a voice in his head that was not his own. _You have faced the light and lost._

"The . . . light?" he muttered to himself.

The voice did not respond.

_But the light is . . . nothing to me. Nothing!_

Xemnas lowered his gaze from Sora and Riku's faces to their Keyblades.

_The light is . . . the light is . . . nothing . . . nothing . . . NOTHING!_

Xemnas suddenly rose into the air without warning as his hands began to light up. "THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS LIGHT!"

* * *

The light emanating from Xemnas' hands turned into giant orbs of energy. He extended his arms out before smashing the two orbs together in front of him. The two orbs combined into a single dark sphere that grew in size. Xemnas raised the sphere over his head as a wave of generated power shot from its core.

Sora and Riku watched as the light was sucked out of the void of Nothingness and into the sphere in a vortex of energy. Within seconds they were standing in an abyss of total darkness. Before they could react, however, spots of red energy began to dot the dark chasm above them.

"Sora!" shouted Riku, over Xemnas' growing laughter, which was completely devoid of emotion, but was no less sinister.

Sora understood what was about to happen. He moved so that he was standing back-to-back with Riku, as hundreds of thousands of energy beams continued to manifest all around them. The projectiles remained completely stationary and were aligned in perfectly organized rows. The beams went on as far as Sora could see, each one waiting for their master to unleash them. Sora shuddered at the thought that within a few moments, the area where the two of them now stood would become ground zero.

As Sora lowered himself into a defensive position, he couldn't help picturing his home back on the islands. Kairi would be waiting for him there. He had gone through hell in order to find Riku and bring him back home. He hadn't come this far just fail at the last moment. He had made a promise to Kairi that the three of them would be reunited and brought back to the islands safe and sound. He would defeat Xemnas and make good on his promise, or he would die trying. He wasn't very much in the mood for dying – Kairi would be upset, and he wasn't about to upset her.

"You ready?" he asked Riku, as high above them he spotted Xemnas raising his hands.

Riku chuckled. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Sora nodded. "Here we go!"

Xemnas swung his arms downward, unleashing a rain of chaos down upon them. One-by-one the laser beams began firing at them in rapid succession. Sora and Riku began swinging their blades at lightning-fast speed, deflecting each and every beam of energy that attempted to do them harm. They remained back-to-back, slowly moving in a counter-clockwise circle in order to effectively defend themselves against the onslaught.

Sora's mind could barely process its own actions, having switched over to pure instinct in order to keep up with the seemingly endless barrage. As he made a move to defend at one angle, he was already thinking about where the next attack was going to come from, and which way he should swing. Despite his best attempts to block out everything from his mind, Sora could not ignore the effects of fatigue that were slowly beginning to creep in. His Keyblade grew heavy in his hands as he swung the weapon in every possible direction. He could feel his attacks wavering and becoming less precise as the assault wore on, and his muscles began to ache more and more with each swing. Sweat poured from his brow as he briefly recalled the Heartless invasion of Radiant Garden, and how he had single-handedly defeated well over a thousand of the dark creatures. The ordeal had taken a lot out of him, and at the time it was the most drained of energy he had ever felt in his life. It was also cakewalk compared to what he was now experiencing.

Sora did not dare risk a glimpse to see how Riku was doing, but he hoped his friend was faring better than him._ Stay strong, Riku._ _We'll get through this. We have to._

By now Sora could no longer feel his arms. His body was operating completely on auto-pilot, yet despite this, his will never faltered. The weaker his body became, the stronger his determination grew. He was nearly drained of energy, but he was utilizing every single ounce of what was left of it. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a glimmer of hope emerged. Looking into the distance, Sora could at last see the limits of the laser beams. There were still many remaining, but at least they weren't infinite. Slowly but surely they were lessening in quantity.

_Nearly there, _he thought. _Just need to hold out a little while longer . . ._

* * *

High above them, Xemnas watched in disbelief as the two Keyblade wielders deflected every single laser beam he had summoned. "How can they still fight?" he muttered to himself. "I've thrown everything at them. Everything."

_You've lost, Xemnas . . ._

Xemnas looked around but only darkness returned his gaze.

* * *

The moment the final beam was deflected, Sora fell to his knees as a blinding flash erupted from the center of the area. Gasping for breath, Sora looked up in time to see the light that Xemnas had absorbed from the room returning. Riku was a few feet in front of him, having also fallen to his knees and equally out of breath. Sora let out a sigh of relief that they had both managed to survive the ordeal, but his happiness was short-lived, as Xemnas suddenly appeared in front of Riku, striking him with an Ethereal Blade, and knocking him backward.

"Riku!" cried Sora. Still on his knees, he made a move to rush to Riku's aid, but Xemnas cut him off, blocking his path with an outstretched Ethereal Blade.

Sora remained frozen in place, his eyes locking with Xemnas', who was standing over him. It was at that moment that Sora came to a sad realization. Looking into Xemnas' eyes, Sora fully expected them to be filled with hatred. All he saw, however, was nothing less than the sad reality of a Nobody. He knew that Xemnas _wanted_ to hate him. Xemnas had spent over a year planning his scheme, devoting much time and resources toward its success, and patiently waiting to see his vision through. But in one fell swoop, Sora had arrived on the scene and completely ruined Xemnas' plot. Sora understood that it would only be natural for Xemnas to hate him. But Xemnas was a Nobody, and he could no more feel hate than he could feel love, and no matter how much he may want to hate Sora, the emotion was beyond him. Sora could see in his eyes that Xemnas was desperately trying to force the emotion, but try as he might, it was simply out of his reach. Sora couldn't believe that he actually pitied the fact that Xemnas could not even hate him.

Xemnas lifted the Ethereal Blade and prepared to end Sora. Sora knew he would not be able to move in time as Xemnas brought the blade down. Luckily for Sora, however, Riku was fast enough to rush to his aid, blocking Xemnas' Ethereal Blade with his Way to the Dawn. The move caught Xemnas off-guard, but he quickly regained his balance. Xemnas whirled around in a complete circle, allowing Riku to move past him. As he neared completion of the rotation, he swung his Ethereal Blade and struck Riku in the back. Riku reeled in pain as Xemnas lifted his blade yet again. Time seemed to slow down as Sora realized Xemnas was going in for the kill. Moving on impulse, he propelled himself forward, and reached out at Riku's hand – the one holding Way to the Dawn. Riku, who was in mid-air and upside-down, caught Sora's eye and understood what his friend was about to do.

Riku extended his blade out to Sora, who took it with his free hand. Sora's momentum was not finished, however, as he moved past Riku directly toward Xemnas, who was unprepared for the maneuver. Now wielding two Keyblades, Sora lashed out with everything he had, swinging the two blades wildly, and shattering Xemnas' defense in the process. He struck Xemnas nearly eight times, each blow stronger than the last. The final hit sent Xemnas flying backward, and Sora was not about to let the opportunity go to waste. He landed next to Riku, who was still recovering from Xemnas' attack, and prepared one final attack.

"Riku," he said, extending his Ultima Weapon.

Riku looked up at him and nodded. He placed his hand over the weapon's hilt as Sora aimed the blade at Xemnas. They concentrated all their remaining energy into the weapon, and as they did so, the tip of the blade began light up. Once the Keyblade was fully charged, Sora and Riku nodded at each other.

_This ends now._

A single streak of light energy shot from the tip of the blade, the straight line shooting up into the air. The light pierced Xemnas' chest, and he was powerless to defend against the attack. Suddenly a vortex of blinding light appeared behind Xemnas as the Nobody began to dissolve. Sora and Riku lowered the Ultima Weapon and watched as Xemnas looked down in confusion at his vanishing self, as if not understanding what had just happened. Before long, the realization dawned on him – he was defeated. Understanding that he was finished, Xemnas looked up. He gazed around the void of nothingness before his eyes stopped on Sora and Riku. Just before he disappeared forever, Xemnas extended his arm out, as if attempting to reach them. In his last moments, Xemnas managed to utter one final sentence.

"Curse you . . . Keyblade . . ."

And then it was over.

Sora lifted his fist into the air. "We did it!"

His celebration was cut short, however, when suddenly an army of Dusks emerged from out of nowhere, surrounding them.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," replied Riku, taking back his Way to the Dawn from Sora.

Sora had had enough. They had just defeated Xemnas and he was not about to allow these Nobodies to rain on his parade. He looked over at Riku, who caught his gaze and nodded. The two of them immediately engaged the Nobodies, and within minutes the void was once again empty, save for the two of them.

"Sora . . ." Riku suddenly collapsed as he uttered his friend's name. "I can't."

"Don't say another word," declared Sora, rushing over to Riku's aid. "It's not over . . . it's just not."

Riku looked up at him. "How can you say that? Even if we could go on . . ." He paused to take a look around the void. "Look where we are."

Sora placed Riku's arm over his shoulders and helped him to his feet. "Aw, come on, Riku. You've been hanging out in darkness too long. You gotta try and think positive."

After a momentary pause, Riku nodded. "Sora, you lead."

Sora grinned at his friend. "Got it."

They walked in silence for awhile, moving in a straight line through the void. After a few minutes had passed, Riku finally broke the silence.

"You know, I always figured I was better at stuff than you," he admitted.

"Really?" replied Sora sarcastically. He couldn't help but chuckle.

Riku nodded. "Are you mad?"

Sora smiled at him. "No. I kinda always thought you were better at everything, too."

They both laughed before something in front of them caught Sora's eye.

"Riku, look!" exclaimed Sora, pointing. "What's that light?"

A small orb of light was floating ahead of them. The closer they got to it, the brighter it became. Not entirely sure of what to expect, but with high hopes nonetheless, the two of them proceeded to the center of the light.

* * *

_Darkness surrounded him in every direction. He could feel himself falling, drifting though the darkness. His life force was slowly deteriorating, and the more he fell, the weaker he became._

_"How could this have happened?" he thought. "How could I have been defeated?"_

_"Because you are incomplete," spoke a voice from the darkness._

_Xemnas recognized the voice from before, the one that had spoken to him during his battle with the two Keyblade wielders. But even then he had recalled the voice as being familiar. He knew who it belonged to. He had known all along. "You?"_

_"Yes, Xemnas . . . it is I."_

_"Are you here to exact vengeance?"_

_He heard the voice laugh._

_"Quite the contrary, old friend. I am here to witness your revival."_

_Xemnas was unsure of what the voice meant. "My . . . revival?"_

_"Only through death can you truly be reborn. Do you not recall you were once neither Nobody nor Heartless? You were once a person. A boy with a purpose. Someone destined for great things."_

_Xemnas could feel the darkness closing in on him. "What could you possibly want with an amnesic boy? Xehanort was nothing."_

_"Not Xehanort, but who he was before – who you were before."_

_Xemnas did not understand what the voice was saying. But it did not matter, for his time was up. He felt himself fading from existence . . . fading into darkness._

_"Sleep now, Xemnas," said the voice. "Sleep and be reborn."_

* * *

Sora and Riku emerged from the light onto a dark beach. They looked around at the unfamiliar landscape, which, despite being located in the realm of darkness, was actually rather peaceful.

"End of the road," stated Riku suddenly.

"Yup," replied Sora.

Riku looked down at Sora, who was still supporting him. "Put me down," he said. "I can walk."

Sora nodded and lifted Riku's arm up off his shoulders. He allowed Riku to compose himself while he made his way down to the shore.

"You know, maybe the darkness has gotten to me too," muttered Sora, more to himself than to Riku. A noise from behind him reached his ears. He turned around to find that Riku had collapsed onto the sand. "Riku!" He quickly made his way to Riku, only to realize that his friend was just fine.

"This world is perfect for me," said Riku, staring at the sand beneath him. "If this is what the world really is . . . just this . . . then maybe I should fade back into darkness."

Sora understood that despite everything, Riku still felt ashamed of having succumbed to darkness.

Riku continued speaking. "If the world is made of light and darkness . . . we'll be the darkness."

"Yeah," answered Sora taking a seat on the sand next to Riku. "The other side . . . the realm of light is safe now. Kairi, the King, and the others are there."

"That's what I mean," said Riku, nodding. "Hey, Sora, can you help me? I want to get down to the water."

Sora nodded and helped his friend up. Sustaining Riku's weight, Sora made his way back down to the shore.

"At least the waves sound the same," muttered Riku.

* * *

The Wanderer watched as the two boys stepped out into the Dark Margin and made their way to edge of the water. He was thoroughly impressed with their strength of will, and at how efficiently they had defeated Xemnas. Sora in particular was a force to be reckoned with. He had persevered through the darkest of times, always finding a way to pull himself out of the darkness and back into the light. He easily inspired followers and had performed well when leadership was thrust upon him. He was the perfect candidate for the Wanderer's plan. The Wanderer had spent the last ten years slowly moving all the pieces on the board so that they were exactly where he wanted them to be when he finally returned. Xemnas' defeat at the hands of Sora was the final move. All the pieces were now in play.

* * *

Before long, a glass bottle washed up at Riku's feet. Curious, he removed the cork from the bottle and extracted a note from within it. Riku quickly looked it over before handing it to Sora.

"Sora?" he said. "I think it's for you."

Sora took the letter and read its contents:

_Thinking of you wherever you are. We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish. And who knows? Starting a new journey may not be so hard, or maybe it's already begun. There are many worlds, but they share the same sky. One sky . . . one destiny._

_Kairi_

As he finished the letter, a shimmering light pierced the darkness in front of them. At first it appeared small, but before long it began to take the shape of a doorway.

"Light," muttered Riku, his eyes fixated on the luminosity before them.

"The door to light," added Sora, jumping to his feet. He looked down at Riku and extended his hand. "We'll go together."

Riku smiled at his friend and took his hand "Yeah."

Standing side-by-side, they waited for the doorway to become complete before setting off into its depths.

* * *

_Rest well, Sora, _thought the Wanderer to himself_. After everything you've gone through, you've earned a well-deserved break. Especially since what lies ahead is far worse than anything you have ever experienced._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

At last, my first fight scene! Although I know it's from the game, I felt it was necessary to include the final struggle from Kingdom Hearts II, primarily to show that the Wanderer was present at the time, watching from the shadows. So far this story has been a blending of existing Kingdom Hearts canon with my original material added into it. But now that we've covered the finale of Kingdom Hearts II, everything starting from the next chapter will be 100% original, as we've now gotten to the point where the new adventure begins. There will still be flashbacks throughout the story, however, again with my own original elements added to them.

Lastly, I hope you guys (and girls) enjoyed this chapter. I tried to stay true to the source material while at the same time adding my own spin to it. Let me know how I did, and thanks for reading. I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as possible.


	5. Paradise Lost

**X**

**- 4 -**

**Paradise Lost**

* * *

**Destiny Islands**

**Three Weeks Later**

He sat with his eyes closed, allowing himself to fully appreciate the paradise around him. As he basked in the warm rays of the setting sun, he could not help but feel lost in her loving embrace. The soothing sounds of seagulls squawking above him combined with waves crashing into the shore were music to his ears. Even the powerful aroma of sea salt, which he had once found noxious, was a welcome smell. When he opened his eyes at last, he was greeted with the spellbinding sight of the shimmering blue ocean, painted orange by the light of the now-setting sun. Watching the sunset from the shore of the island was nothing new to him. He had sat in that very same spot and watched countless sunsets before, but it was not until this very moment, sitting beside his two best friends, observing the most serene, aesthetically pleasing event he could think of, that Sora truly appreciated how lucky he was. How _blessed_ he was.

Sora was seated atop a crooked palm tree on a lone, miniature island. This small chunk of land was located a few feet out in front of the main island, and was connected to it via a wooden bridge, which Sora briefly remembered he and Riku assembling many years ago. A few star-shaped fruits hung from the top of the tree, swaying briskly in the wind by their stems. It was said that if two people were to share one, their destinies would become intertwined. Sora smiled as he recalled the moment when Riku had explained the legend of the Paopu Fruit to him. Sora couldn't help but feel a tinge of nostalgia, as the sight of the Paopu Fruit reminded him of the old days – back when his biggest responsibility was gathering supplies for the raft they had planned to use to leave the islands.

In his hands Sora clutched an uncorked glass bottle and a note with King Mickey's seal on it. The bottle had washed up on the beach almost a week ago, Kairi having retrieved it and brought it to him upon discovery. After they had all made it to the islands, Donald, Goofy, and the King decided to spend a few days with Sora, having heard so much about his home while they had traveled together. But they too had homes to return to. Their families were waiting for them back in Disney Castle, and Sora knew they would eventually have to make their leave. When they finally did, Sora had been sad to see them go, but he had a feeling it would not be the last time he saw them, and when Mickey's letter arrived, his suspicions had been confirmed. Setting the bottle aside, Sora glanced down at the rolled up parchment, the contents of the letter having already been etched into his memory:

_I wanted to tell you right away,_

_About memories from the past that sleep within you,_

_And about the pieces that will tie you to your future. _

_Sora, Riku, Kairi,_

_the truth behind the Keyblade, _

_has found its way through so many people,_

_and now I know that it rests in your hearts._

_Sora,_

_you are who you are because of those people, but they're hurting,_

_and you're the only one who can end their sadness. They need you._

_It's possible that all your journeys so far,_

_have been preparing you for this great new task that's waiting for you._

_I should have known there were no coincidences, only links in a much larger chain of events._

_And now the door to your next journey is ready to be opened._

_- Mickey_

Although Sora did not fully understand what the King meant about 'others who were hurting,' Mickey had made it clear that these individuals were not only important, but they were also connected to him. Although he wished his return home did not have to be cut short after only being back for a few weeks, Sora understood his responsibilities as a wielder of the Keyblade, and if there were others out there who were in danger, he was not about to shy away from helping them.

"Sora," called a voice from behind, startling him.

Sora turned to face the one who had addressed him. "Riku."

His silver-haired best friend was crossing the wooden bridge, his hands in his pockets. Riku stopped at the base of the tree, glancing at the note in Sora's hand before turning his gaze toward the setting sun. "So, your mind's made up then?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah."

Riku simply chuckled without taking his eyes off the horizon. Sora got the feeling that Riku had made up his mind hours ago, and that he was glad Sora and he were on the same page.

"It'll be weird," said Riku. "The two of us embarking on a journey . . . _together _this time I mean."

"Weird?" asked Sora. "I thought it'd be kinda cool."

Riku chuckled. "Well, think about it for a second. Now you're gonna have to get used to me outshining you at being a hero, on top of everything else."

"Oh, really?" responded Sora. "I'm sure there are few thousand Heartless that would say otherwise. Not to mention Organization XIII. And Jafar. And Captain Hook. And Oogie Boogie . . ."

"Alright, alright. You've made your point," declared Riku, laughing. "But seriously though. It'll be nice, you know, both of us on the same side from the get-go."

"Yeah," answered Sora. "With the two of us working together, no one will stand a chance."

"Sora," spoke yet another voice.

Turning, Sora spotted Kairi making her way toward the Paopu Tree, her dark-red hair fluttering in the breeze.

"Kairi!" declared Sora, startled by her sudden appearance. He quickly hopped off the tree to greet her, realizing that he hadn't thought of how he was going to break the news to her as he did so. "I . . ." He looked down at the ground as he struggled with his words, wishing he did not have to tell her he was leaving.

But Kairi seemed to already know that his mind was made up. She smiled at him and nodded her understanding, her violet-blue eyes fixated on his.

Sora was grateful she understood the situation, and returned her smile, but felt he should explain anyway.

"It's just . . . they really need me," he said. "I have to go. I am who I am because of them."

Kairi took his hand and placed something in it. "See you soon," she said, still smiling at him.

Sora looked down at the star-shaped item she had given him. It was the Wayfinder, a lucky charm she had given him back in Hollow Bastion. Upon returning to the islands, he had given the charm back to her, but now she felt he should have it once more, and he was not about to object.

"I'll bring it back," declared Sora, bringing the Wayfinder close to his heart. "I promise."

Kairi placed her hand on his arm. "I know."

"And I'll make sure he keeps his promise," said Riku, as he walked over to them and patted Sora on the back. He gave Kairi a thumbs up and added, "You can count on it."

Sora fixed Riku with a wide grin. "Listen to big brother over here."

They all shared a laugh before simultaneously turning toward the horizon.

"Hell of a sunset, huh?" asked Riku.

Kairi nodded. "It sure is."

Sora helped Kairi up onto the Paopu Tree before taking a seat next to her. Riku remained on his feet but leaned back against the base of the tree, crossing his arms in front of his chest. The three of them sat in silent content, admiring the view before them. Sora glanced over at his friends. He knew there was more danger lurking in the near future, but right now, at this very moment, his world was safe, his friends were with him, and he was happy.

* * *

_He found himself in a curious world consisting of tall, grassy mountains, each surrounded by rivers of flowing water. He stood in a circular courtyard of sorts, which was overshadowed by a golden castle with tall, pointed spires protruding from the roof. Two lengths of golden chain connected the castle to twin peaks located in front of and on either side of the castle's base. The sky was overcast, and the world was shrouded in darkness, as if a great tragedy had occurred and left its mark on the world, forever scarring it. A small path ran from the castle proper through the courtyard and ended at a quiet, grassy area illuminated by streetlamps. It was there that he spotted a boy with golden-blond hair and bright blue eyes. The boy seemed visibly upset by the world's appearance, like someone who had been away from home for quite some time._

_The boy was dressed in a black and white jacket with a red and pleated collar. Underneath it he wore a grey vest with a single button and several white, angular patterns on it. A third layer of clothing was visible underneath this, consisting of a plain, high-necked, black shirt. He also had what looked like a piece of dull green and grey armor on his midsection located underneath his vest, and another piece of armor on his left shoulder. His pants, which were colored in shades of grey, black, and white, ballooned outward slightly before closing up about halfway down his legs, and his boots resembled an armored version of normal street shoes in shades of dull green and grey. He also sported a black and white checkered wristband with white edges. Lastly, he wore two crisscrossing straps on his chest, on which a small, silver emblem of a key was visible._

_But what he found most interesting about the boy was the weapon he held in his hand. It was the same weapon the warriors in the desert wasteland had all been wielding. It was the same weapon that he, Xehanort, and the other apprentices had learned about while researching the Heartless. Back in the wasteland, he had foolishly brushed the weapon off as nothing of significant importance. But now he knew better. _

_"Keyblade," he muttered to himself, entranced by the blade's elegance and simplicity._

_He closed his eyes and began a deep meditation process. Shortly after his banishment, the Wanderer had learned that while he was barred from physically reentering the Realm of Light, he could project a weak version of himself into the Realm of Light, albeit for only very brief instances. The process was extremely strenuous and required much energy, so he did not make a habit of doing so. The situation he now found himself in, however, was a clear exception. He had not expected to encounter a Keyblade wielder while traversing the realms, at least not so soon and in such a seemingly remote location. He was not about to allow the opportunity to go to waste. He needed to understand the weapon's power – both for the furtherance of his plans and his own curiosity. He would engage the boy in combat in order to test the limits and abilities of the Keyblade and its master. Although he had been conserving his energy for his inevitable escape, he felt that the test would also serve as a perfect way to gauge his own abilities, in order to determine just how well his power stood against the dimensional seals that kept him locked away from the Realm of Light._

_He took a deep breath as he began calling upon all his energy. As he did so, a thought crossed his mind. Upon his banishment, he had been wearing his Organization robes and was attired in them still. Not wanting to reveal his face to the boy, he lifted the hood of his cloak up around his head, shrouding his mask in darkness. He did not wish to meddle with existing history, and the sight of his mask would surely raise questions that had not originally been asked. It would be safer to appear before the boy as an unknown man. The boy would believe him to be some sort of obscure entity or phantasm. Nothing more than a mysterious figure . . ._

The Wanderer allowed the memory to fade back into the recesses of his mind. The encounter with the Keyblade wielder had occurred over a decade ago, but from that brief encounter with the boy in the world he now knew to be called the Land of Departure, the Wanderer had gleaned much. While at first he had cursed Xemnas and the others for betraying him, being banished had turned out to be a blessing.

Although he was still barred against his will from entering the Realm of Light, the Wanderer was no ordinary individual. Shortly after being cast into the Realm of Darkness, the Wanderer discovered that if powerful enough, one could transcend the barriers of the Realm of Darkness and travel between planes. He was able to move seamlessly between different dimensions, observing all there was to see as he did so. He soon learned that in addition to the Realms of Light, Darkness, and In-Between, there existed the Realms of Life and Death, and a dimension between the two. When an individual dies and their soul passes from the Realm of the Living to the Realm of the Dead, the soul must first pass through this "midway point." It was here in this dimension that the Wanderer had spent much of his exile, because what set this place apart from the other realms was that in here, time was nonexistent.

Once again he had been cursed with an endless existence of wandering, only now it was not only from world to world, but through time itself. Like a lingering spirit, he could not interact with the worlds he visited, and no one was ever aware of his presence as he observed the events that took place in the Realm of Light from behind the glass of an invisible mirror. Stuck between the world of the living and the dead, he had no control over where and when he was. Yet despite such a miserable existence, there were advantages to his predicament. For one thing, he was able to view past events, and doing so had led to some interesting discoveries. He spent the majority of his confinement watching how events that had once confounded him had unfolded, and little by little all the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. Ironically enough, being exiled was quite possibly the best thing that could have happened to him.

Sometime after his fight with the boy in the Land of Departure, another Keyblade wielder, a young woman, arrived, carrying the limp body of the same boy he had confronted earlier. The boy had lost his heart, and the girl had brought him there to hide him in a safe place. After doing so, she used her Keyblade to transform the world, forever changing it, and making it what it was today – Castle Oblivion. Every once in a while the Wanderer had taken some time to search the castle, but her interior was an endless labyrinth, and after ten years, he still had not located the room where the boy was hidden. Although important, however, finding the boy was not yet a priority, and thus he had abandoned his search for the time being.

Ever since his battle with the boy that day, he had become attached to the Land of Departure, using it as a home base of sorts when he was not away exploring the other realms. Having spent so much time lingering within Castle Oblivion, the Wanderer was able to project himself into the Realm of Light for longer periods of time within her walls then he would have been able to anywhere else. The Wanderer was currently in the highest room at the top of Castle Oblivion, standing before an egg-shaped pod made of crystal-like glass. The pod was tinted white with flower petal-like structures protruding from the bottom. Inside the device was a young man with long, silver hair. He was unconscious and suspended in mid-air within the device. It had been many years since he had last seen the young man alive. The Wanderer had been studying the young man for quite some time when two hooded figures suddenly materialized behind him.

The taller figure, a man, approached the Wanderer, stopping beside him. "Is that him?"

The Wanderer nodded. "Yes."

The second figure, this one female, took her place on the Wanderer's left.

"So it's done then?" she asked.

"Done?" declared the Wanderer. "No, this is merely the beginning. Yes, Xehanort has been restored, but he is only half of the puzzle."

"Half?" inquired the male figure. "I don't follow."

"As I have previously explained to you, before he was a Heartless and a Nobody, Xehanort was an apprentice of Ansem the Wise. But what you don't know is who he was before becoming Ansem's apprentice." The Wanderer's eyes never left the pod as he spoke. "The day Ansem and the other apprentices met Xehanort, they found him lying unconscious in Radiant Garden. When he finally awoke, he had no memory whatsoever of his past life, save for his name."

"Amnesia?" the female figure inquired.

"Yes," replied the Wanderer. "So you see, when he finally does wake up, he will once again be Xehanort, exactly the way he was before he became a Heartless and a Nobody, and still oblivious to his life before the memory loss."

"And who exactly was he before he lost his memory?" asked the male figure.

The Wanderer chuckled. "An extraordinary man. A powerful and wise individual destined to accomplish great things."

The female figure placed her hands on her hips. "And that's who we're interested in?"

"Correct," stated the Wanderer. "And in order to ensure his revival, we must restore Xehanort's forgotten memories."

"How do we do that?" asked the male figure.

"Xehanort was a man who always planned for the worst," explained the Wanderer. "For every move he made, he made sure to have contingencies lying in wait should events not play out as he had planned. As was his nature, long before the tragedy that resulted in his amnesia occurred, Xehanort secretly hid a piece of his soul inside two individuals, so that in the event of his untimely demise, remnants of his being would still remain, hidden away deep within the hearts of others."

The male figure nodded. "I see. So he basically made backups of himself and planted them inside the hearts of two other people?"

"Exactly. And since those backups, as you called them, were made _before _the amnesia, they contain the essence of the true Xehanort, uncorrupted by any impurities. By uniting those two individuals with Xehanort's body, Xehanort's memories, and in effect, his original self, will be restored."

"And who exactly are the two individuals he chose?" asked the female figure.

"Your former comrades," answered the Wanderer. "Xigbar and Saïx."

"What?" she exclaimed, perturbed by the news. "But they were destroyed!" She looked over at her associate, who seemed equally confused.

Although they couldn't see it underneath his mask, the Wanderer smiled. "Do not fret. Just like Xehanort here returned after both his Heartless and Nobody were vanquished, since Saïx and Xigbar each possess a piece of his soul, they too have also returned to their original human states. Only now, it is more than likely that they have no control over their bodies, with Xehanort's will having taken over."

"So Xehanort knew Saïx and Xigbar before they were Nobodies," deduced the male figure. "It would seem that much occurred before the formation of Organization XIII."

"You have no idea," the Wanderer replied.

"Alright. So, do you know where they are?" asked the female figure after taking a moment to soak in the news.

"You forget that I am still not entirely amongst you. Until I return to this plane, there is no way for me to know everything that happens in the Realm of Light. That is why I recruited the two of you. It is your task to track down and locate these individuals."

The two individuals nodded in unison. "Understood," they said together.

The Wanderer nodded. "Now, while you begin your search, I have other matters to attend to."

"Sora?" asked the male figure.

"Yes. It is time I tested the abilities of our resident Keyblade wielder. While I am gone, you are not to disturb Xehanort's body. The recovery process is a delicate one. There can be no setbacks. Am I clear?"

The two figures nodded their understanding.

"Good," said the Wanderer. "If I learn anything about the location of either Saïx or Xigbar, I'll inform you." And with that, the Wanderer took one last look at the unconscious Xehanort before vanishing from the room.

* * *

The female figure waited until she was sure the Wanderer was gone before speaking. "I can't believe it," she declared. "Saïx and Xigbar are alive!"

"Partially," replied her companion. "Remember what he said. They're human now. They've got hearts, which means that they're not the same people we knew."

"Not to mention they're being controlled by Xehanort's will now," she added.

"There's that too," replied the male figure, nodding.

The female figure turned toward the pod. "Wish we could've been the ones to take out Xemnas."

"Indeed," the male figure stated, a touch of disappointment in his tone. "But Xehanort's rebirth was only possible if both his Heartless and Nobody were defeated by the Keyblade. It had to be Sora."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But still, I wish we could have at least been there to see the little twerp take him out."

"No doubt it was a hell of a fight."

The female figure took a few steps toward the pod, carefully scrutinizing the young man resting within it. "Hard to believe 'Lord Xemnas' came from this young man." She bent down in order to get a better look at Xehanort's face, nodding to herself as she did so. "He doesn't look so different from Xemnas," she remarked. "A little skinnier maybe, but I can see the resemblance. Not bad looking either."

"People don't usually undergo any serious physical changes when they become Nobodies," said the male figure. "I recall you having longer hair before becoming one. I believe your eyes were a brighter shade of green as well."

The female figure turned to her associate, removing her hood as she did so. "Okay, that's weird. How do you know all that?"

The male figure lowered his hood as well, revealing his long, pink hair. "Why is that weird? I have good memory, Larxene."

Larxene narrowed her eyes, looking at him suspiciously. "Because I don't recall us ever having been acquainted prior to my becoming a Nobody, Marluxia."

"We weren't," said Marluxia quickly, cursing himself for having spoken. "During one of my early missions we briefly crossed paths, although you were not aware of my presence at the time."

Larxene fixed him with a flirtatious look. "And in that brief instant you not only noticed my hair and eye color," she said, slowly making her way toward him, "but you committed them both to memory? The 'Graceful Assassin' indeed."

Marluxia looked at her with confusion. "What are you implying?"

"All I'm saying is that is that it was sweet of you to notice," said Larxene, poking him in the chest with her index fingers. "I wouldn't have expected something like that from you."

"It was a long time ago, Larxene," declared Marluxia, coldly brushing her aside. "And like I said, I have good memory. Now get your head out of the clouds. We have work to do."

Larxene poked him once more. "Look at you, awkwardly avoiding the subject."

Marluxia was becoming annoyed. "You know, Larxene, considering what he did to you, you've grown rather comfortable working for our 'employer.'"

Larxene's playful attitude vanished instantly. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she spat. "You think I like where we are? Huh? You think I haven't forgotten what he did to me?"

"All I'm saying is that we sided with this man to get back at Xemnas and the Organization. Well, they're gone now, so what are we still doing here?"

"We sided with him because he was gonna kill us if we didn't," countered Larxene. "And we're still helping him because he'll kill us if we don't. I've accepted that. Sure, bringing down the Organization was an added bonus, but if you wanna tell yourself that it was the reason why you chose to serve him, then you go right ahead. But I know otherwise."

"You shut your damn mouth," declared Marluxia, pointing his finger at her in warning. "And speak for yourself. You don't know anything about me."

Larxene fixed him with a cruel smirk. "Oh, what's the matter? Did my comment hit a little too close to home?"

Marluxia was beginning to lose his cool. "Larxene, if you know what's good for you, you'll stop speaking now."

"Hey, it's cool," she continued. "If you wanna go on living in denial don't let me stop you. But it won't change the fact that you and I are nothing but a couple of cowards."

Marluxia sprang forward without warning, grabbing Larxene by the throat and pinning her against the wall. "I AM NOT A COWARD!" he roared, his voice reverberating throughout the room.

Marluxia was surprised by the sudden outburst. He had acted completely on impulse, and he hadn't even realized what he had done until he was looking Larxene directly in the eyes. But rather than being frightened by him, Larxene seemed rather amused.

"Wow," uttered Larxene, her voice barely a whisper due to Marluxia's hand tightly wrapped around her larynx. "Look at you exhibiting all that emotion. It's almost believable."

Marluxia could feel how delicate her skin was even through his gloves. If he wanted to he could end her right where she stood. It took him all of two seconds to realize that it was not what he wanted for her. After taking a moment to calm himself, Marluxia released his grip on Larxene's throat.

"I . . . am not a coward," he repeated before allowing her to slip away.

Larxene quickly pushed past him. "Whatever helps you sleep at night," she asserted, rubbing her throat. "What are you gonna do, tell him you quit?"

Marluxia was staring at the ground. "Maybe I will."

Larxene scoffed. "Like I said, I've accepted this life, Marluxia. You should too. Otherwise tender your resignation and suffer the same fate Vexen, Lexaeus, and Zexion did."

"Is this life any better?" asked Marluxia, turning toward her. "Serving this man, this . . . whatever he is unconditionally, for who knows what purpose?"

"I don't know," answered Larxene. "But what I do know is that I never want to experience what he did to me ever again. And if that means serving him, then I'm fine with that."

Marluxia shook his head. "You were the meanest, cruelest woman I've ever known, Larxene. It doesn't bother you that this is what you've been reduced to?"

Larxene looked down, his comment seemingly hitting a soft spot. "I've gotten past that. Once you realize there's a meaner, stronger kid out there than you, letting go of your pride gets easy."

A long moment of silence followed, with the two of them avoiding eye contact. Marluxia conjured up a single flower pedal in his hand, bringing it close to his face. He inhaled the sweet aroma of the pedal, studying its elegant features.

"Do you have any idea where we should start looking for those two?" asked Larxene suddenly.

Marluxia turned to face Xehanort's unconscious body. "Saïx and Xigbar were both native to Radiant Garden. Why don't you start there?"

Larxene nodded. "Smart. What about you?"

"I'll check out Traverse Town and work my way through that entire quadrant."

Larxene opened a corridor of darkness and nodded her approval. "Sounds good. See you back here soon."

"Yeah," answered Marluxia, waving his hand halfheartedly.

Larxene took a long look at Marluxia before stepping into the dark abyss and vanishing.

Marluxia, now alone in the room, made his way to the pod containing Xehanort's unconscious body. As he studied the young man's limp figure, he recalled the sequence of events that had led to his alignment with the Wanderer. After having been forced to return to Castle Oblivion by Xemnas and being confronted by the Wanderer, he had been certain that he and Larxene were finished. However, what he had not anticipated was that the Wanderer would offer an alternative to death.

_"Were I to spare your lives, would you swear allegiance to me?" the Wanderer asked._

_Marluxia had not been sure how to respond, utterly perplexed by the proposal. "What?"_

_"As I have already demonstrated, I stand opposed to Organization XIII, and I plan on seeing that it crumbles. I am offering you a chance to be involved."_

_Larxene had been reluctant to speak, but had done so anyway so as to avoid enraging the Wanderer by not answering. "Why us?"_

_"I require assets that can move about the worlds undetected, and you two are the perfect candidates," explained the Wanderer. "We share a common goal, and an alliance between us can prove to be mutually beneficial."_

_"Allies?" Marluxia asked. "Or servants?"_

_"Make no mistake, you will serve me. There will be no bowing before me, or worshiping my presence, or calling 'master,' but my orders will govern your actions. So long as you obey my every command and do not cross me, what little humility you have left will be preserved, and your pride will not be challenged any further."_

_Marluxia still did not know what to say. He had been expecting certain death and was not prepared for the Wanderer's offer. Is this what I have been reduced to? Choosing between death and enslavement? Who does this man think he is?_

_"I will serve you," declared Larxene suddenly._

_Marluxia looked at her incredulously, but she avoided his gaze._

_"Smart girl," said the Wanderer. "I wonder if the same can be said of your colleague."_

_Marluxia stood in silence, his mind awash with thoughts. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he forced himself to utter the four hardest words he had ever spoken. "I . . . will serve you."_

_The moment Marluxia spoke the words, a figure clad in Organization robes emerged from seemingly nowhere._

_"Excellent," declared the Wanderer. "I'm glad you were able to see reason. There has been enough bloodshed as it is." He strode over toward them, his arms behind his back._

"_So that's it?" asked Marluxia, still on edge._

_"What were you expecting? An induction ceremony? Yes that's it."_

_"So . . . what happens now?" inquired Larxene._

_"I am sure you both have many questions," the Wanderer said. "I'll answer what I can."_

_"What of Sora and the others?" asked Marluxia almost immediately. "Surely they must have questioned my sudden disappearance."_

_"You possess the ability to create illusions of yourself, do you not?" inquired the Wanderer._

_Marluxia nodded. "I do."_

_The Wanderer extended his arm and a beam of light shot out from his hand. A figure emerged from the light, wearing an Organization cloak with the hood up._

_"I used that same ability to conjure up a final foe for Sora to face."_

_When the newcomer lowered his hood, Marluxia was surprised, for he was looking back at his own face – a perfect copy of himself stood before him. _

_"Impressive."_

_"You were the lord of the castle and the boy was expecting to face you," explained the Wanderer. "Questions would have been raised were Marluxia – were you – not present to see his own plot through to the end. So I made sure that Sora faced Marluxia."_

_"I see," answered Marluxia, examining the copy of himself. "But wouldn't it have been simpler to alter his memory like what you did with Naminé? Why the charade?"_

_The Wanderer waved his hand and the copy of Marluxia vanished in another flash of light. "Enough memory alteration had already taken place within these walls. Sora's memory had been tampered with enough."_

_A thought had suddenly crossed Larxene's mind. "What about the Riku Replica?"_

_"Destroyed." The reply came instantly, as if the Wanderer had been anticipating the question. "There was no reason for it to exist any longer."_

_Larxene couldn't help but shudder._

_"It seems you've thought of everything," declared Marluxia. "So what happens now?"_

_The Wanderer turned to face them. "In order for my plan to proceed forward, two things must happen. First, Xemnas must be allowed to create his Kingdom Hearts."_

_Marluxia and Larxene exchanged looks of confusion. _

_"Wait, what?" exclaimed Larxene. "I thought we were standing AGAINST Xemnas."_

_"We are," replied the Wanderer. "Not everything will be clear at first, but I assure you that in time you will begin to see the bigger picture."_

_"Very well," answered Marluxia. "And the second thing?"_

_The Wanderer paused, as if visualizing what he was about to say. "Xemnas must fall."_

_"Well that's a given," declared Marluxia, underwhelmed. "I thought we were discussing means not ends."_

_"We are," he replied. "Xemnas must be destroyed by a Keyblade and only a Keyblade. This, above all else, is crucial."_

_Again Marluxia and Larxene exchanged looks of confusion. _

_"Why is that so important?" asked Marluxia._

_"You need only know that it is," responded the Wanderer. "Sora must defeat Xemnas using his Keyblade, and we must ensure that this comes to pass."_

_"You're telling us we've gotta help that little twerp?" asked Larxene. "Forgetting for a moment that you're ordering us to assist an enemy, what makes you think he will want our help?" _

_"You misunderstand," said the Wanderer. "Sora will be unaware of our involvement. You will operate from the shadows, watching his every move and ensuring that he stays on track. If he becomes distracted or momentarily loses his way, you will be there to subtly show him the way, without compromising yourselves of course. He must go about his journey as if everything is of his own doing, oblivious to your presence. Understood?"_

_Marluxia and Larxene nodded in unison._

_"Good. Now, Sora's journey cannot begin until Naminé completely restores his memories. The process will take some time. In the meantime your task will be to gather intelligence on your former comrades."_

_"You want us to spy on the Organization?" asked Marluxia._

_"We must be completely apprised of their every move. Whenever one of your former allies goes out on an assignment, you are to follow them, take note of everything they do, see, and discover, and relay that information back to me. I am to be as aware of the Organization's doings as Xemnas himself. We must remain up to date with the status of Kingdom Hearts' creation as well as the rate at which they are collecting hearts."_

_Marluxia nodded. "Once we don't return they'll assume we've been killed, making Larxene and I the prime candidates for such work."_

_"They'll never suspect the two of us to be spying on them if they think we're dead," added Larxene._

_"Why do I get the feeling that recruiting the two of us was your plan all along?" asked Marluxia. "I knew it was odd of Xemnas to send us back here instead of just killing us."_

_The Wanderer turned his back to them. "Let's just say that I still possess some influence over Xemnas, whether he realizes it or not."_

_Marluxia narrowed his eyes. "Still?"_

_The Wanderer turned his back to them. "You have work to do," he said. "I suggest you get started."_

_Marluxia narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the mask Larxene had mentioned underneath the man's hood. "Who are you?"_

_But the Wanderer vanished before his eyes without speaking another word._

The memory of that day was still fresh in Marluxia's mind. During the year that followed, he and Larxene had done exactly as the Wanderer had commanded, gathering intelligence on all of the Organization's doings and reporting them back to him. Of particular interest to the Wanderer was Roxas, the organization's most recent recruit. The boy was the Nobody of Sora, thus he possessed the ability to wield the Keyblade, much to Xemnas' delight, and the Wanderer's fascination, although he did not understand why in the case of the latter. In fact, after a year of following orders without question, and a promise that 'in time he would begin to see the bigger picture,' Marluxia still knew relatively nothing of the Wanderer's ultimate agenda. He knew the Wanderer wanted to ensure the return of Xehanort, but even that piece of information had not been revealed to Larxene and himself until just recently. The two of them had been kept virtually in the dark for nearly the entirety of the past year, and ignorant was not something Marluxia particularly enjoyed being.

Despite his reservations, however, Marluxia knew there was no one to blame for his current predicament other than himself. In the end, he had willingly chosen to serve the Wanderer unconditionally. Closing his eyes, Marluxia recalled something Xemnas had said to him back in the Castle That Never Was.

_I always took you as a vain and proud individual, Marluxia. Someone who would rather die than face the humiliation of punishment by one he loathes so much. But I was mistaken. Instead you fled at the first sign of danger. Fled right back to us. Coward._

Xemnas had been on a verbal tirade, insulting Marluxia with whatever he could think of. Marluxia had not paid much attention to Xemnas' ramblings, having been more focused on avoiding the Ethereal Blade inches from his throat instead. Yet despite disregarding most of Xemnas' rant, one word had actually struck a nerve with Marluxia.

_Coward._

The word kept repeating itself over and over, like an endless echo in the back of his mind. When Xemnas had used it, it had not held much weight, but when Larxene brought it up, he completely lost it. He silently questioned how he, a Nobody, could become so infuriated by a petty insult.

_Maybe because it's true,_ Marluxia couldn't help but think as he opened a corridor of darkness_. _Standing in front of the dark portal, he glanced once more at the unconscious Xehanort. _Even that pompous buffoon stuck his plans out to the end. He was willing to die for his cause. But you . . . you sold yourself out. Doesn't get much more pathetic and weak then that. _Turning away from the sleeping young man, Marluxia stepped into the portal, anxious to occupy his mind with something other than his own self-loathing.

* * *

The sun was nearly below the horizon when Riku declared, "Come on, it's getting dark. We should head back."

"Give us a minute," said Kairi.

Riku seemed confused, eyeing them both for a second, before nodding. "I'll get the boat ready."

Sora was equally confused. He had no idea why Kairi wanted to be alone with him. "What's up?"

Kairi waited until Riku was out of earshot before speaking. "Sora, I know you're probably gonna object, but I want to go with you guys."

Sora was startled by the remark. "Go with us?"

Kairi nodded. "I know you want to keep me safe, but I can't just stay here alone, not knowing if something bad has happened to you. I won't go through that again."

Sora couldn't help but laugh. He had been planning on discussing that very same topic with her, and she had just made it easier for him.

Kairi smiled. "What's so funny?"

"I was planning on asking you if you wanted to come with us, Kairi."

Kairi was surprised. "You were? But I thought-"

"Yeah, I know I said I wanted you to stay here for your own safety, but I thought about it for awhile and I figured that if you came with us, we'd always know how the others were doing and we'd be able to keep each other safe."

Kairi narrowed her eyes. "Is that all?"

Sora blushed. "Well, uh, there's that and uh, you seemed like a natural when you um . . . used the Keyblade back in Xemnas' castle. I thought you might want some more practice and what better way than to tag along with us? You being able to defend yourself is another weight off my mind."

"So, you just want to bring me along because you think I need to be babysat?"

"No!" exclaimed Sora. "That's not what I meant at all, Kairi! It's just that if something happened to you . . . I . . ."

Kairi took his hand and smiled at him. "I was just kidding. I know what you meant. I don't know what I'd do without you either, Sora."

Sora was gazing into her eyes, lost in their beauty. He took her other hand and slowly moved in closer to her. The two of them closed their eyes at the same time, and Sora did what he had been afraid to do for quite some time. Pulling her in close to him, Sora kissed her passionately. Kairi placed her hands on his cheeks, returning the gesture with equal vigor. The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but to Sora it was an eternity. The two of them had shared their love for one another atop the Paopu tree, where Sora had always imagined it would happen, and to Sora, it was the happiest moment of his life.

The moment was cut short, however, for as soon as their lips parted, Sora knew something was wrong. He pulled away from her quickly, scanning the area around them.

Kairi's face was one of both puzzlement and hurt. "What's wrong?"

Sora was not entirely sure. For one thing, the temperature in the air had increased significantly within a span of only a few seconds, and the light breeze coming from the sea had suddenly ceased. Those two unnatural occurrences combined with the fact that something was causing his hair to stand on end had Sora on high alert.

"Something's . . . not right," said Sora, taking Kairi by the hand. "Come on."

Sora helped Kairi off the tree and the two of them made their way across the bridge. To his left he could see Riku at the edge of the wooden pier, preparing the small rowboat the three of them used to travel to and from the island. Riku was looking around, no doubt having sensed the same thing Sora had.

"Sora, what's the matter?" asked Kairi as the two of them reached the other side of the bridge.

"Just bad vibes," replied Sora. "It's probably nothing."

Riku spotted them crossing the long stretch of sand and jogged to the front of the pier. "Hey! You feel that?" he shouted.

Sora nodded. "Yeah! Air's grown thick!"

"What do you think it is?"

Sora looked out at the sea. The top of the sun was still slightly visible above the horizon, and to Sora it looked like an eye, peeking out from the cover of the world, watching his every move. "I don't know! Let's just get out of here!"

Riku was about to speak when something behind Sora caught his eye. "Sora! Behind you!"

Sora spun around immediately, drawing his Keyblade as he did so. Standing in the sand a few feet away was a hooded figure, dressed in an Organization XIII cloak. A few seagulls flying near him dropped dead, falling from the sky and into the sand.

"Who is that?" asked Kairi, hiding behind Sora, a hand on his shoulder.

Sora glared at the mysterious figure, who, from what Sora could tell, was glaring right back at him. The man slowly extended his arm forward, directly at Sora, whose only concern at the moment was Kairi's safety. _I don't like where this is going,_ he thought to himself.

For a moment the man just held his arm there in the air, but then suddenly a burst of light shot from his palm and a beam of green energy appeared in his hand, followed by another in his opposite hand. The mysterious figure dropped into a combat stance, and Sora was sure an attack was imminent.

"Kairi, get back!" ordered Sora, moving her toward Riku.

"Look out!" she cried.

*Sora whirled around just as the unknown man thrust himself forward, ready to strike. Sora quickly shoved Kairi backward before bring up his Ultima Weapon to defend against the attack. He could hardly follow the man's movement as he rushed toward Sora. Sora elected to meet the man halfway and took off directly at him, swinging his Keyblade with less than a few feet between them. His Ultima Weapon clashed with the man's energy blades, and with the sun now set and night having settled in, the blades cast an eerie green glow over the entire area.

Sora stared into the darkness of the man's hood as a circle of fire engulfed the area around them, trapping them inside and cutting Riku off from the fight. The good news was Kairi was safe on the other side, so now he could focus all his attention on the battle. The mysterious figure jumped back and immediately began swinging his blades with lethal efficiency. Sora parried and blocked whatever he could, but the man's strikes were lightning-fast, and Sora noticed that his blades seemed to whistle when swung.

The man moved with inhuman agility, leaving momentary after-images of himself with each swing of his blades. Sora was forced to resort to dodge rolling in order to avoid his enemy, who was chaining combo after brutal combo together into an unstoppable blitz. Every so often he would attach the ends of his two blades together, quickly forming some sort of double-edged dual-blade, before pulling them apart again.

Midway through a combo, the mysterious figure lifted up off the ground and unleashed an X-shaped blast of fire energy at Sora. Sora rolled out of the way just in the nick of time, but no sooner had he avoided one attack than he found himself in the middle of another. The mysterious figure summoned a multitude of flower-like blue orbs that floated as one in the air like a cloud. The orbs followed Sora's every movement, and began shooting beams of energy at him. Each time they fired, a few disappeared, and Sora realized he would just have to continue evading until they were all gone. The orbs seemed to be homing in on his position, and continued reforming around him. The last laser that fired hit him in his left shoulder, but he didn't have time to register the pain, for his enemy had already begun attacking once more with his blades.

_Not even Sephiroth was this bad, _thought Sora.

After another minute of doing nothing but dodging, Sora had had enough. He completed one final roll before casting a Reflect spell around himself. The mysterious figure's blades bounced off the magic barrier, and the defensive field exploded in a flash of light sending him flying backward.

Sora instantly sprang into action, using the advantage to go on the offensive. Rushing toward the mysterious figure, he unleashed the longest combo he could manage, swinging his blade as hard as he could, and striking the man over ten times. The man recovered after the last blow, jumping back to evade another strike from Sora. He extended an arm into the air and summoned three pillars of fire around him before rushing Sora like a freight train, hoping to catch Sora in his path. Sora glided around the area, landing and rolling when he had to, but the mysterious figure was always right behind him, never giving him anytime to gather his bearings.

Having hung out at the beach since he was five, Sora was used to running and maneuvering in the sand, but never to this degree. Running around on the uneven surface was beginning to take its toll on Sora, and he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to hold out against his seemingly unstoppable foe.

_If I don't think of something quick, I'm finished._

* * *

"Dammit!" exclaimed Riku, who was slashing away at the wall of fire separating him from Sora. "It's no use, I can't get through it."

Kairi was trying her best to keep up with the fight, but the flames obscured her view and she was only able catch glimpses of the action. "It's not looking good in there. We've gotta do something!"

"There's no way through, Kairi," said Riku. "I hate to say it, but Sora's on his own." Even as he said this, Riku continued slashing at the flames, desperately hoping to find an opening and enter the fray.

Kairi worriedly gazed into the flames. "Sora . . ."

* * *

Sora was back on the defensive, dodge rolling in every which way in order to avoid the mysterious figure's latest attack, which consisted of him raising himself high into the air, and attempting to grab Sora with some sort of energy whip. Sora was not about to fall victim to any of his enemy's attacks, and just continued rolling. His clothes were covered in sand, as was his face and hair. But none of these things mattered, for he understood that just one hit from any of the mysterious figure's attacks would be fatal.

When the mysterious figure retracted the whip and lowered himself back down, Sora moved in for another offensive, hoping to get a few good hits in. His attack proved to be in vain, however, as the mysterious figure still had some tricks up his sleeve. Just as Sora was closing in for the first hit, the mysterious figure split himself into eight different individuals, all with their sights set on him.

_You've got to be kidding me? First laser swords and now duplicates? It's Xemnas all over again! Gimme a break!_

Sora was beginning to lose his patience. Breaking off his initial strike, Sora thrust his Keyblade at the mass of hooded figures before him. Three were hit and disappeared instantly. The remaining five dodged and tore after him.

"Thunder!" cried Sora the moment his Ultima Weapon returned to him.

The attack caught one of his enemies by surprise, striking him before he could evade. One of the other duplicates shot some sort of miniature tornado at Sora, which he barely avoided by rolling to the right. The figure closest to him began swinging his blades wildly while the other three approached him from either side, in an attempt to surround him. Sora was not about to let himself be cornered. Utilizing his Sonic Blitz ability, he rushed forward at breakneck speed, catching the middle duplicate off guard. Sora shot through him, before targeting the others, who were forced to abandon their attack in order to avoid Sora's onslaught.

The remaining three duplicates were on him the moment Sora's attack ended. Sora held his ground, dueling the three of them at once, hacking and slashing like a mad man. He was surprised by his own resilience, however, he knew it would not be enough to win him the fight. His enemies were slowly backing him into the wall of flames, and if he didn't come up with something fast, the battle would be over. Losing was not an option. Utilizing all the magic power he could muster, Sora initiated the Ars Arcanum technique. Gripping the hilt of his blade tightly, Sora exploded in a brutal rage, devastating his three foes with a barrage of powerful slashes. Before the technique was even halfway complete, he had already eliminated the two remaining duplicates. Only the original mysterious figure remained, but he was still more than capable of fending off the rest of Sora's attack.

Once Sora's offensive endeavor ended, the mysterious figure changed the game up once more, this time turning himself invisible. Although Sora could not physically see the man, the whistling from his blades and his footsteps in the sand were enough to allow Sora to avoid being taken by surprise. Once more he resorted to dodge rolling, which was become increasingly more difficult to do, due to the fact most of the sand in the area had been traversed either by himself of the mysterious figure, making it even more uneven than it already was.

Sora stuck close to the wall of fire as he continued rolling. He could just barely make out the whistling sound of the mysterious figure's weapons behind him, which were uncomfortably close. Just when Sora thought things couldn't be any worse, the mysterious figure proved him wrong. Above him, the sky turned a sinister crimson, and meteors began raining down upon the area. Each time one of the meteors impacted, a violent explosion followed, sending fire and sand flying in every direction. The scene was an utter nightmare, yet still, with all the chaos erupting around him, Sora did not stop dodge rolling. It was a desperate strategy, but one that had kept him alive throughout the entirety of the struggle.

After another minute or so, the mysterious figure ceased his cloaking technique and began mixing up all of his previous attacks. The meteor shower, however, continued. Sora deflected what he could and dodged the rest. He had quickly adapted to his foe's attacks and strategies, which made finding an opening much easier. Sora struck when he could, rushing in and delivering a few blows before retreating.

The battle wore on for a few more minutes when suddenly, the meteor shower ceased, and a blinding light from above shot down, encompassing the entire area and extinguishing the wall of flames. The mysterious figure stopped his attack and looked up, seemingly surprised by the event. Sora heard the familiar roar of an engine and it didn't take long for him to figure out what the source of the light was.

"Sora!"

From his left, Riku was running toward him, Keyblade in hand. Kairi was right behind him. The mysterious figure turned from Sora to Riku, who had just arrived. He stood there for a moment, watching them both, while the light from above grew more intense, and the sound of the engine became louder and louder. Suddenly, the mysterious figure extinguished his weapons and vanished into the air. Sora and Riku exchanged looks of confusion before scanning the area to make sure the man was really gone.

"What is that?" shouted Riku.

"Gummi Ship!" replied Sora. "It's the _Highwind_!"

Indeed, the outline of a large vessel became visible above them within seconds. The ship was descending slowly, no doubt with intentions to land on the beach. Sora backed up as the ship he had traveled on throughout his adventures settled down on the shore. The spotlight underneath it turned off, while at the same time, the lights on the exterior hull turned on, showering the area with artificial light. Sora watched as the boarding ramp lowered and two figures emerged, descending the metal walkway. The taller figure looked around for a moment before spotting Sora.

"Sora!" exclaimed an all too familiar voice. "You're okay!"

"I told you he would be," declared the smaller figure.

Sora grinned at the duo as he ran toward them. "Donald! Goofy!"

The knight and wizard ran out to greet him. Sora hugged the both of them at the same time, relieved by the sight of his friends. "Boy, am I glad to see you guys."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Throughout the story, anytime I feel that there's a song out there that perfectly complements a certain scene, I'll post a link for that song at the bottom of the chapter so that you guys can hear it and get a better sense of that scene. With that said, I found a great song that fits perfectly with the battle between Sora and the Mysterious Figure. It's remix of "Dark Impetus," which is the Mysterious Figure battle song from "Birth By Sleep," for those who didn't know. The song is titled "Dark Impetus (Dual Mix)," and the creator was kind enough to let me post the link for you guys to hear. Check it out below. You'll notice I placed an asterisk (*) at the beginning and end of the battle. That was to show you where and when the song would play. Corny, I know, but there it is.

Lastly, thanks again to everyone who's been reading. As always, your comments, questions, and concerns are always appreciated, as are reviews. I know it's been a lot of dialogue and description, and you're most likely desperately awaiting for the gang to start visiting worlds, but again, I cannot stress enough how important it is that I execute the setup of this narrative perfectly, or else the actual adventure will suffer. Believe me, everything that's going on serves a purpose. That is the absolute truth. The next chapter should be up soon, and with school ending around April 28th (for me at least), I'll have a lot more time to work on this baby, which means more frequent updates. I have a lot of cool worlds and characters I plan on introducing, so stay tuned. Thanks again, and until next time, farewell.

**Sora Vs. Mysterious Figure Battle Theme: **

The reason the link below is pasted in such an awkward manner is because for some reason, FanFiction wouldn't allow me to paste the link of another website altogether. But it's fine. Just copy the whole thing into your browser as you see it and remove the spaces.

I did not create this song, nor do I claim ownership of it. All credit goes to Yoko Shimomura for composing the original song, and to theultimateonejps for remixing it.

www. you tube watch?v =7koH3M p0lHY


	6. Departure

**X**

**- 5 -**

**Departure**

* * *

_The Wanderer stepped out of the elevator lift and into a lonely hallway in the upper West Wing of Ansem's castle. The upper West Wing was where the living quarters for the castle's residents were situated, and as such, things were usually quiet in the area, as was the case now. The Wanderer's footsteps on the marble floor echoed all around him as he strode briskly down the barren corridor. After rounding a few corners, he approached a set of double doors at the end of a wide hallway and knocked twice._

_"I'm busy," declared a voice from within, sternly._

_"I need to speak with you," responded the Wanderer._

_"Oh, it's you. Yes, come in."_

_The Wanderer turned the handle of the left-side door, but found it locked. He proceeded to enter through the remaining door. _

_The Wanderer stepped onto the carpet of a small office, which was littered with stacks of books piled high and scattered in every recess of the room. A single ocular window overlooking the courtyard garden allowed for natural light to illuminate the otherwise dark interior. A leather lounge chair and coffee table with a chessboard built into it filled the space in the corner near the window. In the center of the office was a small mahogany desk, with more stacks of books littering its surface. Seated behind the desk was the silver-haired Xehanort, Ansem's newest apprentice. He was flipping through an enormous textbook, jotting down notes every few seconds._

_"Sorry about the door," declared Xehanort without looking up from his work. "The lock is jammed. I'm getting it fixed soon. Have a seat."_

_"I'll stand," stated the Wanderer, firmly. "I have to discuss something with you."_

_Xehanort marked the current page on his book before looking up. "Alright, what is it?"_

_"Yesterday, your Master summoned me to his office to discuss an important matter in private."_

_Xehanort's eyes narrowed. "Important matter?"_

_The Wanderer nodded. "You may or may not have heard about a string of strange disappearances occurring in Radiant Garden. Eight missing individuals, to be exact."_

_Xehanort dropped his pen on the desk and rubbed his eyes in annoyance, understanding immediately. The eight individuals the Wanderer was referring to had been taken by Xehanort and the other apprentices to be used as test subjects for their latest experiments. The poor souls were currently rotting in the dungeons of the castle, buried deep underneath her foundations._

_"I gave Braig specific orders not to target locals!" Xehanort declared, smashing his fist on the desk. "He said those people were vagrants, criminals, and out-of-towners. He wasn't supposed to take people who would be reported missing!"_

_"What's done is done," replied the Wanderer. "It's only a matter of time before your Master discovers the truth. There is nothing we can do about that."_

_Xehanort sat there in silence, giving himself a moment to allow his anger to subside. Before long, he sat up straight again, fully composed, albeit still upset. "This isn't why you came to speak to me."_

_"No, it isn't," answered the Wanderer, impressed with Xehanort's perception. "His office was empty when I stepped in. I was early. While waiting for him to arrive, I noticed an open journal on his desk, and a single entry scribbled onto the first page."_

_The Wanderer extracted a single piece of paper and handed it to Xehanort. He waited as the young man read the contents inscribed on the parchment:_

Much of my life has been dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge.

That knowledge has guarded this world well. Not a soul doubts that.

I am blessed with people's smiles and respect. But though I am called a sage, there are things I do not understand.

I believe darkness sleeps in every heart, no matter how pure. Given the chance, the smallest drop can spread and swallow the heart. I have witnessed it many times.

Darkness...Darkness of the heart. How is it born?

How does it come to affect us so?

As ruler of this world, I must find the answers. I must find them before the world is lost to those taken by the darkness.

_"A diary?" asked Xehanort, looking up from the paper._

_The Wanderer shrugged his shoulders. "Hard to say given that it's only a single entry. It seems more like a personal archive created to detail his scientific progress, as well as his thoughts and feelings."_

_Xehanort nodded. "Yes, I can see that. But why give this to me?"_

_The Wanderer took back the journal entry and read through it himself. "You and I both know your interest in the heart of man was not borne out of simple curiosity, Xehanort."_

_Xehanort had not expected the conversation to move in this direction. He rose from his chair and strode toward the window across the room. "What do you mean?"_

_"I believe that your fascination with the Heart stems from your previous life. That is, the life you led before you lost your memory. I know you believe it too, and I am certain that discovering who you were is the key to unlocking the mysteries of the Heart."_

_Xehanort was listening intently as he looked out upon the garden below. "Some nights, while I'm sleeping, I dream of a life that is not my own. Yet this life I see . . . it seems so familiar. Could my dreams actually be . . . glimpses from a previous life?"_

_The Wanderer strode over to Xehanort and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I want to help you recall who you were, Xehanort."_

_Xehanort turned to face him. "How?"_

_The Wanderer handed him the journal entry once more. "Might I suggest keeping a personal memoir?"_

_Xehanort accepted the parchment, but seemed confused. "I don't think I follow."_

_"I used to find that getting my thoughts and feelings out on paper helped me focus my emotions more efficiently."_

_Xehanort couldn't help but chuckle. "You want me to keep a diary?"_

_The Wanderer let out a chuckle of his own. "Yes. Better yet, why not continue this one as your own? Use that entry as a starting point and build on it."_

_Xehanort seemed unsure of the Wanderer's proposal. "It seems like a waste of my time."_

_"It's an extremely healthy and enlightening hobby, my friend," asserted the Wanderer. "Even your master understands this. No one knows you better than you know yourself, and as such, if you allow your raw emotions to transfer onto paper, I guarantee that when you go back and read them later on, you will come to better understand who exactly Xehanort is. Who you are."_

_Xehanort seemed to be contemplating the Wanderer's advice. He returned to his seat and scanned the journal entry once more. "I will reflect on this."_

_"That's all I ask," the Wanderer said. "I'm only trying to help."_

_"Why?" asked Xehanort instantly. "Why do you want to help me?"_

_The Wanderer turned toward the double doors, remembering to exit through the unlocked one. "I'm not entirely sure myself," he thought._

_The Wanderer opened the door, and stepped out into corridor. The moment he did, someone on the other side jumped back, startled by his sudden emergence from the office._

_"Oh, uh . . . sorry."_

_"Is that Braig?" asked Xehanort from inside the office._

_"Yeah, Zee, it's me," replied Braig._

_"Eavesdropping, Braig?" asked the Wanderer. "What are you, twelve years old?"_

_"I don't know what you're talking about, man," replied Braig, nonchalantly. "I was just . . . you know . . . hangin' around."_

_The Wanderer had caught Braig with his ear pressed to the door just before startling him, but he chose not to pursue the matter further._

_"Braig, get in here," ordered Xehanort. "We need to discuss why our test subjects are now the talk of the town."_

_Braig let out a sigh. "Oh great, Xehanort's wrath. Don't you just hate it when he's pissed?"_

_The Wanderer ignored Braig's childishness and moved past him. He was turning the corner of the hallway when he heard Braig mutter, "With all this bossing around, Zee, at least I know you're not Terra."_

_The remark seemed odd to the Wanderer, stopping him in his tracks. He turned toward the door just in time to watch it close. He stood there for a moment contemplating what he had just heard. After a few seconds he made his way back to the elevator lift. _

_"Could it be possible that that buffoon knows something about Xehanort's past?" the Wanderer asked himself. "Braig of all people."_

_The Wanderer would have to look into the matter further. He needed to find out more about Xehanort's past, and it seemed as if he had just gained a valuable lead._

_As the elevator doors slid closed, the last thing running through the Wanderer's mind was, "Who the hell is Terra?"_

* * *

**Destiny Islands**

"Gawrsh, Sora," declared Goofy, a bewildered look etched on his face. "You've looked better."

Sora smiled as he nodded. "Yeah, tell me about it."

"We saw the fire from the sky and knew something was wrong," explained Donald, studying Sora's dirty clothes.

"You have no idea," replied Sora. "If you guys hadn't shown up when you did . . . I don't know what I would have done."

"I'm just glad we got here in time. I guess Master Yen Sid was right after all," Goofy said.

"Master Yen Sid?" Sora had been about to question Goofy further, when a voice from his left interrupted him.

"Sora!"

Before Sora could react, Kairi flew at him from his right, catching him in a tight hug which nearly knocked him off his feet. "Sora . . . I thought . . . Are you okay?"

"I'm alright," answered Sora, returning the hug with a smile of assurance. "I'm okay."

Just then Riku rounded the corner of the ship, Way to the Dawn in hand. He was momentarily surprised to see Donald and Goofy, but once he realized everything was safe, he dismissed his weapon.

"You alright?" asked Riku as he made his way to Sora.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. A few cuts and bruises but I'll live."

"I'm sorry, man. I tried to get in there, but I couldn't get past the fire."

"Don't apologize. At least you tried. Besides, I've faced worse than that guy."

He was lying of course. The mysterious figure was the single most powerful enemy Sora had ever faced, and throughout the entire battle Sora had been hoping Riku would somehow find a way through the wall of flames and help him out.

"Goofy, you mentioned something about Master Yen Sid?" Sora asked.

Goofy nodded. "Yeah. Ya see, Donald and I weren't supposed to come pick you guys up until tomorrow morning. But Master Yen Sid had a feeling something might be wrong and told us to head out early. Good thing he did too."

"I'll say," Riku replied. "You guys just saved the day."

Sora looked down for a moment as he processed Goofy's words.

"Who was that guy anyway?" asked Donald.

"I don't know," replied Sora. _But whoever he was, he just handed me my ass._

"It looked like he was wearing an Organization XIII cloak," Goofy remarked.

"Yeah, he was," answered Sora.

Kairi turned to Sora. "You think he's one of them?"

Sora shook his head. "Can't be. They're all dead."

"We can speculate once we're on board," Donald declared. "Let's just get out of here."

"I'm with you there," said Sora.

"Where exactly are we going anyway?" asked Riku.

"The Mysterious Tower," answered Goofy. "Master Yen Sid and King Mickey are waiting for us there."

Sora made a feeble attempt to wipe the sand off his clothes. "Wanna tell us what this is all about? The King's letter was pretty vague."

"To be honest, Sora, we don't really know ourselves," Goofy admitted, scratching his head. "All we do know is that you and Riku are supposed to show the Mark of Mastery."

"Mark of Mastery?" asked Sora, puzzled. "What's that?"

"Some sort of test?" queried Riku, equally befuddled.

Donald nodded. "You got it. Only by showing the Mark of Mastery does one attain the title of Keyblade Master."

"Yup, and both the King and Master Yen Sid say that you guys are ready," added Goofy. "With our recommendations of course."

"Keyblade . . . Masters?" Sora needed a moment to allow the news to dawn on him. "Us?"

"Heavy stuff," murmured Riku, equally stunned by the announcement.

"Aw, come on, guys," chimed Goofy. "After everything you've done, is it really that surprising? You guys are the best there is."

Before he realized it, a wide grin etched itself across Sora's face. "Riku! We're gonna be Masters!" he proclaimed before turning to Kairi. "You hear that, Kairi? Riku and I are gonna be Masters!"

"That's great!" exclaimed Kairi, easily caught up in the excitement. "I'm proud of you both."

"Yeah, well I guess those guys know talent when they see it," said Riku casually.

Riku's remark had Sora laughing. "Listen to you, trying to sound like it's no big deal."

Riku fixed him with a grin of his own. "Okay, so maybe it is pretty cool."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Goofy. "You guys have an important appointment to get to."

"Yeah. Oh, and don't worry about your clothes," added Donald. "I'm sure Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather will fix you some new ones once we arrive."

"New clothes aren't really what I'm worried about," Sora said, looking down at his dirty garments. "A shower's more like it."

Everyone turned to Sora before bursting out in laughter.

"Oh, by the way guys," stated Sora, suddenly remembering something. "Kairi's coming with us."

He was sure Goofy and Donald would object, but instead they just nodded.

"Master Yen Sid thought as much," Donald said.

"Yep," added Goofy. "She's a natural-born Keyblade wielder, and we need all the help we can get."

Sora was relieved that he would not have to stand opposed to Master Yen Sid's judgment, something he had not been looking forward to. "You hear that, Kairi? You're gonna get formal training with the Keyblade!"

Kairi grinned, blushing slightly. "Oh. Sounds great! When do I start?"

"Someone's nervous," muttered Riku, nudging Kairi on the arm playfully.

Kairi blushed once more but did not reply.

"Hey, Kairi, you've never been on a Gummi Ship before have you?" asked Goofy.

"Nope. This is my first time."

"You're gonna love it," said Sora. "Seeing worlds from the outside in . . . it's something else."

"Come on," declared Donald, waving them in. "You can sit up front, Kairi."

Kairi made her way up the ramp into the cockpit of the Gummi Ship, with Sora following close behind.

Riku was the last to board the vessel, and once the ramp was clear, Goofy pressed a button on the wall that retracted and raised the boarding ramp.

"Hey guys," said Riku, patting Goofy and Donald on the back. "Sorry about not saying hi earlier. Things were hectic and I wasn't really thinking about my manners."

"Aw, don't worry about it, Riku," replied Donald. "We understand."

Goofy nodded in agreement.

Riku smiled at their kindness. "Thanks. So, how's everything with you guys?"

Donald led the way to the cockpit as he spoke. "Well, everything's calmed down back at the castle. It was nice being back home . . . even if it was only for a little while."

Riku noticed a sigh escape Donald as he finished his last statement. He glanced over at Goofy who motioned for Riku to wait until Donald was out of earshot before discussing the matter further.

"Daisy was a little upset that he had to leave home again so soon," whispered Goofy. "They had an argument before we left. He won't admit it, but it's been bothering him."

Riku looked over at Donald, who had just taken his seat in front of a massive control console and had begun entering commands into the ship's computer. "That's terrible."

"Yeah, but don't worry too much about him. Donald's a tough guy. He'll be alright."

Riku nodded and patted Goofy on the shoulder before entering the ship proper.

The cockpit of the _Highwind_ was a massive domed room consisting of six seats facing the front of the ship. The front-most seat was the pilot's chair, which was situated in front of the primary control console. An elaborate looking steering wheel was mounted in front of the chair, and was able to be raised or lowered depending on the pilot's height, which in this case was Donald. Each of the passenger seats had small control consoles consisting of various buttons and switches built into the armrests, allowing for anyone to take control of the ship should the pilot become incapacitated. The roof was made entirely of powerfully thick glass, providing anyone inside with a 360 view of everything around them.

Sora took a seat between Riku and Kairi, as the familiar rumble of the ship powering up erupted from beneath his feet. He lowered the backrest of his seat until it was nearly horizontal before interlocking his fingers behind his head and closing his eyes.

Riku chuckled from his left. "You look right at home."

"He sure does," added Kairi, giggling.

"It's like I never left." Sora laughed without opening his eyes.

Goofy turned around to join in on the conversation. "They don't make for the best beds, but when you're travelling between worlds for days at a time, these chairs become really comfortable really fast."

Sora nodded. "We spent a lot of time on this ship. I guess you could say she is like a second home."

"Hey, guys. I just thought of something," proclaimed Kairi suddenly.

Riku and Sora turned toward her in unison.

"We're leaving the islands the way we originally planned – the three of us together on a ship."

The thought hadn't crossed Sora's mind. "Hey, you're right!"

Riku chuckled. "Seems like things are turning out the way they were supposed to."

"Yeah," added Sora. "Even the name of the ship is the same."

"The _Highwind?_" asked Riku.

Sora turned to him. "Oh, come on, Riku. Don't tell me you've forgotten about the race already?"

"Oh yeah. You mean the one I let you win?"

Sora stared at him for a few seconds, fixing him with a "are you really serious right now?" look. Riku returned his stare with complete solemnity. But after a moment the staring contest ended with each of them no longer able to contain the laughter they had been holding back.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," said Sora, returning to his sleeping position.

"I'll give you this one victory," replied Riku, assuming a similar position.

From the front of the ship Donald turned around. "You guys are something else."

"Tell me about it," declared Kairi. "I'm glad someone else noticed. I've been dealing with this back and forth for years."

"Gwarsh, Sora," said Goofy. "I don't think I've ever seen you this happy before."

Sora couldn't help but smile. Kairi reached over and took his hand. Although his eyes were closed, he knew she was smiling along with him. Yes, there were dozens of questions running through his head. Yes, the mysterious figure's attack was an unexpected turn of events. And yes, the future was uncertain. But for some reason, Sora was in very high spirits.

"I'm about to embark on an adventure with the best people I know. Doesn't get much better than this."

"I couldn't have put it any better myself," declared Donald. He punched in a few more commands into the ship's navigation before reaching for the safety belt on his seat. "Alright, everyone. Strap in, sit back, and relax. This adventure's about to take off. Next stop: the Mysterious Tower!"

_Blast off_, thought Sora to himself as the _Highwind _shot towards the sky, leaving the Destiny Islands behind him for the second, and hopefully last, time.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I know, I know. A short filler chapter after such a long wait. This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I felt that what would have been the second half of this chapter deserved its own chapter instead. Lucky for you, because I had written it all as one chapter, it's already near completion. I just copied and pasted it into a new Word document and as such, Chapter 6 should be up soon.

I apologize again for the enormously long monstrosity of a wait, but things have been hectic for me, evidently even during the summer. Comments, questions, and concerns as always are not only appreciated, but encouraged. Thanks again, and I'll see you next chapter.


	7. Mark Of A Master

**X**

**- 6 -**

**Mark Of A Master**

* * *

**Mysterious Tower**

Serving as the home of Master Yen Sid, the Mysterious Tower was one of the most surreal pieces of architecture Sora had ever laid eyes upon. If the golden-brown tower, with its crooked structure and cone-shaped turret rooftops decorated with moons and stars, wasn't an odd enough sight on its own, the fact that it was situated upon a floating island high in the clouds of a starry sky surely made for one very peculiar locale.

"Kairi, allow me to welcome you to the Mysterious Tower," announced Goofy, pointing toward the towering citadel looming before them.

"Whoa," declared an awestruck Kairi, her eyes fixated on the skyscraping structure.

Sora couldn't help but chuckle. "I remember thinking the same thing the first time I was here."

"Talk about ominous," muttered Riku, who was focused more on the area around them.

The area below the tower was a grassy courtyard surrounded primarily by unusually tall hedges. The only means of accessing the area was by taking a special train from Twilight Town, which runs along a magic railway accessible only by a select few.

Donald made his way to the giant double door entrance and waved the rest of them forward. "Come on. We shouldn't keep Master Yen Sid waiting."

Sora nodded and followed behind the others as they filed into the lobby of the tower. Inside, Sora waited to see Riku and Kairi's reaction to the tower's interior. Sure enough the two of them gazed upward in awe, dumbfounded by the strangeness of the building. They were in a round room, surrounded by an upward-spiraling staircase which ran all the way up to the top of the structure.

"No strange portals this time?" inquired Sora, inspecting the area.

Goofy shook his head. "Nope. Those are just a defense mechanism to keep intruders from reaching the top," he explained.

"Right," concurred Donald, nodding. "The last time we were here, this place was filled with Pete's Heartless, which was why we had to go through all those portals to get to the top. But the coast is clear now, so it's just a boring old staircase this time."

"Oh," replied Sora. "That makes sense."

"Yup," stated Goofy, as he began ascending the staircase. "Master Yen Sid's not about to let just anyone up there. He's an important man after all. He's gotta be cautious."

Sora, Riku, and Kairi followed Donald and Goofy up the staircase to the study on the top floor, presumably where Master Yen Sid was awaiting their arrival.

"I wonder if Master Yen Sid leaves the tower much," mused Riku.

"I don't think so," responded Goofy. "Why do you ask?"

Riku chuckled. "I was just thinking about how annoying it must be to go anywhere with all these stairs."

"Knowing Master Yen Sid, he probably has a means of transportation other than walking to get where he needs to go," Donald surmised.

"I would hope so," said Riku. "Because this is one hell of a workout."

Donald nodded in agreement. "You said it."

"So, any idea what showing the Mark of Mastery will involve?" Kairi asked, taking her steps in patient strides.

Sora shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. To be honest I haven't really thought about it."

"You nervous?" inquired Riku from behind them.

Sora scoffed. "Me? No way. You?"

"A little."

"Me too."

They all shared a laugh as the end of the staircase came into view.

"Here we are," said Goofy as they arrived at the door.

Sora quickly tried to brush as much sand off his clothes as he could before entering Master Yen Sid's study.

Riku let out a low chuckle. "It's no use, man. You're a mess. Deal with it."

Sora straightened himself up as Goofy opened the door. Master Yen Sid's study was exactly as he remembered it. Although relatively small, the study was the largest room in the tower. It was filled with large shelves of books, several about the exploits of King Mickey, and the only two windows were shaped like a star and a moon. The most prominent object in the room, however, was Master Yen Sid's wooden desk, whose surface, save for an open book and a lit candle, was empty. The only thing Sora did not recognize from his last visit was an odd-looking device in the corner of the room, which, from what Sora could tell, looked like the threshold of a doorway.

Sora studied the device a moment longer before allowing his eyes to settle on the man sitting in the tall chair behind the desk.

"Sora," declared the man in a deep voice." It is good to see you again, and in good health no less."

Master Yen Sid was a rather severe-looking old man with long gray hair, bushy eyebrows, and an even longer gray beard that parted down the middle. He wore long, billowing blue robes with sky blue lining, the insides of which were dark red. A blue, conical sorcerer's hat decorated with several yellow stars and a yellow crescent moon sat cozily upon his head.

"It's good to see you again too, Master Yen Sid," replied Sora, bowing respectfully.

Donald and Goofy followed suit, but Kairi and Riku seemed unsure of what to do.

Sora noticed his friends' confusion and realized this was their first time meeting Master Yen Sid.

"Oh, uh, sorry, sir. These are my friends, Riku and Kairi. The ones I told you about."

Master Yen Sid nodded toward them. "It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintances. Sora has spoken highly of you both."

Kairi bowed curtly. "It's an honor, sir."

Riku nodded. "Likewise."

"Wow, Sora," spoke a high-pitched voice. "You look like you've seen better days."

Entering the room from a door on the right was King Mickey, as short and cheerful as ever.

"Your Majesty!" exclaimed Sora, rushing over to the big-eared mouse.

King Mickey jumped into Sora's arms and hugged him tightly.

"It's only been three weeks, but it seems like forever since I last saw you," stated Sora.

"It sure does," replied Mickey, jumping down.

Riku made his way over to them, smiling at Mickey. "Your Majesty."

"Aw, Riku. You know it's just Mickey to you."

Riku nodded as he knelt down. "It's good to see you again, Mickey."

Mickey fixed Riku with a friendly grin before embracing him. "You too."

"Is it just you two here?" asked Sora. "Where are Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather?"

"Merlin needed their help with something over in Radiant Garden," explained Mickey. "They left just a little while ago."

"I must say, it is nice to see you all together," admitted Master Yen Sid. "I have not seen such strong ties of friendship in . . ." He paused for a moment, contemplating and old memory. "It has been some time."

"It's nice having everyone here," Sora responded, throwing an arm around Donald and Goofy. "With all of us working together, no one else stands a chance."

"That's the spirit," said Master Yen Sid, nodding. "Friendships such as yours are rare to find these days. A difficult path lies ahead for you all, and as such, having your friends with you for support will be essential if you are to survive what is to come."

The mood in the study grew serious with Master Yen Sid's last comment. Mickey made his way to Master Yen Sid's side as Sora and the others stood at attention.

"You must have many questions," said Master Yen Sid. "Unfortunately there is much to discuss and little time to do so. I will try to cover everything I can."

Everyone nodded and waited for Master Yen Sid to continue.

"Sora, let's begin with recent events. I take it by the look of your clothes that your departure from the islands did not go as smoothly as planned."

Sora nodded. "We had a visitor who wanted to see us off."

Sora proceeded to describe the sudden appearance of the mysterious figure as well as his subsequent battle with the hooded man.

"It seemed like he only wanted to fight me," explained Sora. "He made sure to cut off Riku from the battle, and as soon as Goofy and Donald showed up in the Gummi Ship, he took off."

"I see," mused Master Yen Sid. "For what purpose, I wonder?"

"Did you get a look at his face?" asked Mickey.

Sora shook his head. "He was wearing an Organization XIII uniform, so his face was hidden underneath the hood."

"Organization XIII?" repeated Mickey, puzzled.

"Yeah, but he can't be one of them," declared Riku. "Sora and I took them all out."

"Maybe he was a member you never encountered," surmised Mickey.

"Well, other than Axel, the rest of them, including Xemnas, showed up to gloat when I returned to Radiant Garden after I woke up," said Sora. "And when we infiltrated their castle, the remaining members tried to stop me from reaching the top. So, if there was another member, why wasn't he in Radiant Garden with the others and why wasn't he in the Castle That Never Was trying to stop me?"

"Maybe Xemnas ordered him to operate away from the Organization," chimed Kairi, adding her two cents to the conversation. "You know, like in case anything happened to the rest of them, Xemnas made sure to have one guy stay out of sight at all times in order to strike back later or something. Like an insurance policy."

Riku seemed doubtful. "If that were true, then why would they call themselves Organization XIII if they had fourteen members? It doesn't make sense."

"Kairi has a point," stated Goofy. "Think about it. If Xemnas didn't want anyone to know he had a secret fourteenth agent lying in wait, then it wouldn't make much sense for him to call the group 'Organization XIV,' now would it? If he did that, then it would defeat the whole purpose of assigning a secret agent in the first place."

"It's a smart theory, guys, but there's just one problem," declared Sora. "This guy I fought was stronger than any member of the Organization, and that includes Xemnas. No, that's an understatement. He was probably the most powerful person I've ever faced . . . like ever. I seriously doubt that someone more powerful than the leader of Organization XIII would be working _under _him."

"Stranger things have happened," said Donald.

"True," said Sora. "But still, I don't think he's one of them. I can't really explain it, but from my fight with him, I got the feeling that he was something else."

"There's no use dwelling on the matter," proclaimed Master Yen Sid. "The man's identity is a mystery, and speculation will lead us nowhere. The only thing that matters is that there is an extremely powerful individual out there that, by the look of things, seems interested in Sora's fighting capabilities. To what end, I do not know, however, there may be some connection between this man and another issue that has recently occurred."

Sora and the others exchanged confused glances as Master Yen Sid prepared to elaborate.

"As you are all aware, when a heart is swallowed by darkness, two beings are formed – a Heartless and a Nobody. Throughout your travels you have encountered and defeated countless numbers of these creatures. But have you ever pondered what occurs after they are destroyed? Have you ever thought about where they go?"

Sora contemplated the idea for a moment. "I've . . . never really thought about it, no."

Master Yen Sid stroked his beard. "Remember that Heartless are born from the heart, and Nobodies are born from the body and soul. They are two halves of a whole. When an individual's Heartless is vanquished, the stolen heart is released. But because their body has now become a Nobody, the heart has nowhere to go and becomes lost. But in the off chance that that same individual's Nobody were to also be defeated, their body and soul would thus be restored. With the individual's body once again available, the heart can find its way back to its owner. Once it does, the heart need only settle into its old body once more, which, I should mention, is a very time consuming process. But once completed, the individual would be fully restored to their original self – heart, body, and soul."

The room remained silent as Master Yen Sid paused briefly.

"Sora, do you understand why I have brought this up? Can you think of anyone who's Heartless and Nobody you know for a fact have been defeated? Perhaps because you saw to it personally?"

"Just one," answered Sora, realizing what Master Yen Sid was getting at. "Xehanort."

Master Yen Sid nodded. "And a more deadly individual it could not have been."

Sora looked down, feeling a tinge of foolishness at his own actions.

"Cut off the head and two more grow back," declared Riku, patting Sora on the back. "Well in this case, it's the other way around."

"Hey, you helped," replied Sora.

"Sora, you have done nothing wrong," stated Master Yen Sid. "The Seeker of Darkness and Xemnas each posed very serious threats to the Universe. Had you not stopped them when you did, we would not be having this conversation right now due to the fact that we would have most likely ceased to exist."

"I guess, but I also paved the way for yet another enemy to emerge."

"There was no way around it, Sora," Mickey chimed. "You did what needed to be done. They had to be stopped."

Kairi walked over to Sora. "Hey, think about it this way," she said. "Out of the thousands of Heartless and Nobodies you've defeated, it's possible you could have restored a bunch of other people too. Innocent people who lost their hearts." She turned to Master Yen Sid. "Am I right?"

Master Yen Sid nodded. "Absolutely. I find it highly unlikely that out of all those Heartless and Nobodies, Xehanort was the only one to be restored."

Kairi smiled. "There, you see."

"She's right, Sora," remarked Goofy. "You're a hero. You should be proud."

Donald nodded in agreement.

"I couldn't have done it without you guys," replied Sora, lightening up. "Okay, so Xehanort's back. Where do we find him?"

"Normally the individual is restored at the location where their heart was originally lost," explained Master Yen Sid. "In Xehanort's case, that would be within Ansem's castle in Radiant Garden."

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" exclaimed Donald. "Let's get over there!"

Master Yen Sid shook his head. "Unfortunately it is not that simple, Donald."

Sora chuckled. "I had a feeling you were gonna say that."

"A strange development has occurred," Master Yen Sid revealed. "A few strange developments actually. Two weeks ago I felt an odd disturbance. At first I thought it was nothing, but then shortly after, I received word from Radiant Garden about an unusual occurrence that had taken place. I believed that it may have been a signal of Xehanort's return, so I sent Mickey to Radiant Garden to investigate."

"When I got there, Leon and Merlin told me there had been some weird flashes of light coming from the lower labs of the castle," said Mickey. "We swept the entire area all night, but we found nothing."

"Do you understand now, Sora?" asked Master Yen Sid.

"I think so," replied Sora. "You said the 'settling in' process for the heart takes time. So if that's true and Xehanort really did return to Radiant Garden, there's no way he could have just gotten up and walked away on his own because his heart would still be reconstructing itself."

"Exactly," replied Master Yen Sid, impressed. "Although the body may return to this plane, until the heart finds its rightful body and settles in once again, the body will remain unconscious."

"So if that's the case," said Kairi, "then how is it that Xehanort was nowhere to be found?"

"Because I believe that someone else was waiting for him," proclaimed Master Yen Sid.

"Someone . . . else?" asked a bewildered Donald.

"Yes," responded Master Yen Sid. "And this someone took Xehanort's body to a hidden location."

"For what purpose?" asked Riku, folding his arms.

"It is only speculation, but I believe they have taken Xehanort's body in order to facilitate the restoration process."

Everyone in the room with the exception of Master Yen Sid exchanged glances of confusion.

It was Goofy who broke the silence. "Master Yen Sid, sir, whad'ya mean by 'facilitate?'"

"He means that someone is helping Xehanort's heart settle back into his body," answered Donald.

"Correct," replied Master Yen Sid. "To be more precise, someone is helping to speed up the process."

Sora was shocked by the revelation. "Who would wanna do that?"

"What about Maleficent and Pete?" mused Goofy. "They're still out there after all."

"Security's been beefed up in Radiant Garden since the last time you were there," Mickey said. "There's no way they could have gotten all the way into the castle and out completely undetected. This was something else."

Master Yen Sid turned to Sora. "Donald and Goofy told you that I sent them to pick you up early, did they not?"

Sora nodded. "They did. They said it was because you felt something was wrong."

"Indeed I did," answered Master Yen Sid. "Remember that when Xehanort's body returned to Radiant Garden, I mentioned that I sensed an odd disturbance. I could not explain the feeling, but after what happened over there, it all but confirmed that whatever it was I was feeling was something reliable and not merely a hunch. I felt that same feeling again a few hours ago, so I sent Donald and Goofy to get you as quickly as possible. I am not entirely sure how or why, but for whatever reason I believe that what I am sensing is this mysterious individual's power."

Goofy was dumbstruck. "So, you think the guy who's helping Xehanort's heart settle back into his body was also the same guy that attacked Sora on the islands?"

"Almost certainly."

"So, we've got an insanely powerful guy helping Xehanort wake up from a long nap, and while he waits, he passes his time by picking a fight with Sora," declared Riku. "Fantastic."

"It would seem so," said Master Yen Sid. "However, not all is dire."

"You said there were other developments that had occurred," stated Sora, recalling the Master's earlier statement.

"Yes, there may yet be a silver lining," declared Master Yen Sid. "It would appear that someone is travelling beyond the borders of known Gummi Space. As a result, many new sectors have opened up in the Lanes Between."

Sora took a moment to process the news. "Any idea who they are and what they're up to?" he asked.

"None," Master Yen Sid replied. "But considering that they do not seem to remain on any one world for very long, I believe that they may be searching for something. And considering that these sectors began opening up almost immediately after Xehanort's body returned, I believe that Xehanort's restoration may be directly linked to this development."

Sora was all ears. "How so?"

"That is for you to find out," answered Master Yen Sid. "You must venture out into these uncharted sectors and investigate who or what is traversing them. Hopefully whatever you discover out there will shed light on this entire ordeal."

Sora had to laugh. "Another journey into the unknown, huh?"

"Sounds like it," answered Riku. "And for all the marbles no less."

Master Yen Sid turned to Riku. "Although fitting, that metaphor is an understatement, Riku. You are all about to begin what is quite possibly the most important chapter of your lives, against the single greatest threat the Universe has ever faced. The path before you will not be a pleasant one."

"If you wanna get through this alive, you guys are gonna have to be at the top of your game," declared Mickey. "It's gonna take all of you working together in order to survive."

"Mickey is correct," Master Yen Sid remarked. "Everything you have gone through, overcome, and accomplished up until this point has been leading to this. The journey ahead will require you to utilize every skill you have learned and every ability you possess. It will require courage in the face danger, wisdom in the face of difficult choices, and hope in the face of despair. It will require selflessness and sacrifice. It will require every able-bodied Keyblade wielder. But most importantly of all, it will require mastery of the Keyblade."

Sora could almost feel the air in the room grow thick with anticipation. He had been both anxious and dreadful for this very moment. To his right, he noticed Riku straighten up his posture.

"Sora, Riku," Master Yen Sid began. "Normally the journey of the Keyblade begins with apprenticeship. Each apprentice is adopted by a Master, who will then train, raise, and mold their pupils into warriors of light. The ultimate aspiration of any Keyblade wielder is to one day achieve the rank of Master. It is for this purpose that apprentices train their entire lives for. When a Master feels their apprentice is ready to take the next step, the Master administers the Mark of Mastery Exam. Each Master is allowed to administer the exam in their own unique way, but the end result is always the same – the apprentice must show the Mark of Mastery in order to proceed. However, seeing as how circumstances are slightly different when it comes to the two of you, we will have to do things a little differently this time around. First, there is the issue of neither of you having a formal Master. Without one, Mastery cannot be passed down."

As if on cue, Mickey took a few steps forward until he was standing in directly in front of them. He took a moment to look from Sora to Riku before summoning his Keyblade.

Yen Sid rose from his seat and made his way around the desk so that he was standing behind Mickey. "Seeing as how we have a bit of a shortage when it comes to Keyblade Masters these days, Mickey has taken it upon himself to take the three of you on as his apprentices."

"Three of us?" asked Sora.

"Yes," responded Master Yen Sid. "Kairi, if you would step forward please."

All eyes were on Kairi, who was both stunned and speechless. Her eyes found Sora's, and he gave her a confident nod. She returned it and took her place next to Riku.

Master Yen Sid turned to Sora. "Sora, do you accept Mickey as your Master? And if so, do you swear to follow his teachings and respect him as your mentor? Do you swear to learn the ways of the Keyblade from him and defend the realm of light from any and all evil?"

Sora looked at Mickey, smiled, and nodded. "Of course I do."

Master Yen Sid nodded and turned. "Riku, do you accept Mickey as your Master? And if so, do you swear to follow his teachings and respect him as your mentor? Do you swear to learn the ways of the Keyblade from him and defend the realm of light from any and all evil?"

"I already consider you to be a friend and mentor," stated Riku. "I accept, unquestionably."

Master Yen Sid nodded once more before turning toward Kairi. "Kairi, do you accept Mickey as your Master? And if so, do you swear to follow his teachings and respect him as your mentor? Do you swear to learn the ways of the Keyblade from him and defend the realm of light from any and all evil?"

Kairi locked eyes with Mickey. "It would be my honor."

Master Yen Sid cleared his throat before moving on. "Mickey, in taking these pupils as your own, do you solemnly swear to guide them down the path of light? To watch over and protect them from any harm? To devote yourself to their betterment and to train them in the ways of the Keyblade? To be there for them always should they ever require your help? Do you solemnly swear to take on the responsibilities of Master over these pupils?"

The look on King Mickey's face was one of intense earnestness. He studied each of them carefully before speaking. "I do."

"Very well then," declared Master Yen Sid. "Sora, Riku, Kairi, if you would kneel down please."

The three of them dropped to one knee before Mickey. It wasn't until this very moment that the magnitude of what was taking place in the study fully dawned upon Sora.

"As witness and presiding arbiter over this union, I declare the acceptance of all parties as valid. Mickey, you may proceed."

Mickey nodded. "Sora, Riku, Kairi, when you stand up, you will have officially become my apprentices."

They all rose to their feet almost instantly. Before them, Mickey stood, smiling at them like a proud father.

"It is done," Master Yen Sid said, returning to his seat. "Congratulations, apprentices."

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid," Sora said. "And thank you, your Maj- I mean Master Mickey."

Mickey seemed embarrassed. "Aw, don't worry about the formalities, Sora. It's just Mickey to you guys. Having my friends calling me 'Master' seems a little weird to me."

Riku chuckled. "You got it . . . Master."

Mickey couldn't help but laugh.

Sora turned to Kairi, who was being congratulated by Donald and Goofy. "Wow, can you believe it?"

"What, that I've just become a Keyblade apprentice, or that Mickey is my Master?"

"Both," answered Sora, smiling.

"It's pretty awesome," she admitted. "The three of us being inducted I mean."

"Yeah, it is," declared Riku. "Especially since now I've got two people I can outshine."

"Welcome to my world, Kairi," said Sora, chuckling.

Kairi nudged Riku on the arm. "We'll see how cocky he is once I've gotten a little more practice."

"Looks like the two of you have some competition," said Goofy, giggling.

"You guys better watch out," added Donald, smiling.

"Oh, believe me, I will," answered Sora.

"Congratulations, by the way," declared Goofy.

"Yeah, you're apprentices now," Donald remarked. "And under the King no less."

"Thanks, guys," replied Sora, patting them both on the shoulder.

"I apologize for having to cut in on the celebration," declared Master Yen Sid. "But unfortunately we are short on time and still have important matters to attend to."

"Right," said Sora, making his way back to his original position.

Sora, Riku, and Kairi returned to standing at attention while Donald and Goofy took a step back.

"Okay, guys," began Mickey, dismissing his Keyblade. "Now that you've got me as your official Master, we can proceed with the Mark of Mastery." He turned to Kairi. "Kairi, you've only just been granted a Keyblade, and have not received the same training Sora and Riku have. As such, your Mastery Exam will come at a later time, once I've had time to properly train you."

"I understand," replied Kairi.

Mickey nodded. "Alright then. For some time now, Master Yen Sid and I have been discussing as to how your exam would be administered."

_This is it_, thought Sora.

Mickey paused for a moment before continuing. "Sora, Riku, after much deliberation, Master Yen Sid and I have agreed upon a course of action. After taking into account a multitude of factors, we believe that no examination is required of you."

For a brief moment Sora thought he might have heard something wrong. It wasn't until he looked over at Riku and saw the look of utter befuddlement etched on his face that he realized he had, in fact, heard Mickey correctly. He had been prepared for a number of things Mickey might say, but this was certainly not one of them.

"Wait, what?" asked Riku.

"What do you mean no examination is required?" Sora pressed. "I don't understand. I thought every apprentice had to take the Mark of Mastery Exam in order to become a Master."

Master Yen Sid leaned forward and folded his hands before elaborating. "Sora, after your world was invaded by the Heartless and your friends lost, you found yourself alone in unfamiliar territory, with a strange and powerful key as a weapon. Normally, when one begins training with the Keyblade, Masters explain to their pupils what is required of them. They are taught that it is the responsibility of any and every single Keyblade wielder to fight for and defend the light. You, however, did not have the luxury of such tutelage. Having just been granted extraordinary power, you could have done anything you wanted. Yet you elected to use your newfound power to defend the innocent of your own volition, oblivious to the magnitude of responsibility fate had charged you with. You fought the Heartless not because you were told to, or because you were following some code, but because your own morals and beliefs told you that it was the right thing to do. That much power could easily corrupt someone and cause them to lose their way, but not you, Sora."

Mickey took a step forward. "Kairi and Riku were nowhere to be found, the Keyblade had chosen you as its wielder, the Heartless were hounding you everywhere you went, you were just beginning to understand darkness and light, not to mention learning of the existence of other worlds, and then traveling between them. It's a lot to take in all at once. But you just took everything in stride and met every challenge head-on. For someone your age, just starting with a Keyblade, it's beyond impressive."

Master Yen Sid nodded in agreement. "Indeed it is. And if that wasn't enough, you then proceeded to traverse the worlds while searching for your friends. Although you wanted more than anything to find Riku and Kairi, you never hesitated to put your personal goals aside to assist others in need. As a result of your selflessness, you forged new friendships, helping each newfound ally defend their respective world, before finally sealing away the darkness that was plaguing them. And you did this not once, but twice. Later, when you found Riku and discovered that he had been corrupted, rather than feeling betrayed, your faith in him became even stronger. And when you were finally reunited with Kairi, you even sacrificed your own heart to protect hers."

"Oh," chimed Mickey, having just remembered something. "Let's not forget that despite having received no formal training with the Keyblade, your skills have developed at an astonishing rate. Even with the odds constantly against you, you've never once backed down from a fight. You've faced foes vastly more powerful than yourself and still emerged victorious."

"You have persevered through the harshest of times, performed astonishing feats, and overcome the most impossible of odds," declared Master Yen Sid. "Sora, you are ready to take the next step."

Sora was speechless. Having heard Master Yen Sid and King Mickey summarize everything he had accomplished up until this point, he was only now fully realizing how far he had come. He almost couldn't believe it. "Thank you," he said after a moment. It was all he could muster.

Master Yen Sid's eyes lingered on Sora for a moment longer before shifting to Riku. "Riku, your story is quite . . . different from Sora's."

Riku shifted uneasily, aware of what was about to be said.

"Eager to leave your world in search of others, you gave into darkness and allowed it to fill your heart," Master Yen Sid began. "As a result of this, many people suffered."

Riku's eyes shifted down to the ground in shame. Sora knew Riku would never stop beating himself up about his past mistakes, so hearing about them from Master Yen Sid must not be easy for him.

"Although you were acting to save Kairi's heart," continued Master Yen Sid, "you nevertheless assisted the witch, Maleficent, in spreading the Heartless across the worlds, essentially turning your back on your best friend. And when you were defeated by Sora, you opened your heart to darkness even further, allowing the Seeker of Darkness to hijack your body. This nearly resulted in the deaths of the two people your care about most, not to mention the Universe as we know it."

Riku could not find it in himself to look up. Sora was about to say something, but King Mickey shook his head.

Master Yen Sid shifted his position before speaking once more. "It was around this point that you began a quest of redemption, Riku. Although afraid at first of the darkness lingering within you, and still angry with yourself for all you had committed, you learned to accept that darkness, just like light, was a natural part of life, and would always be present. Having come to understand this very important truth, you were able to put to bay the remnants of the Seeker of Darkness that were still tormenting you."

When Ansem the Wise took up the charge of restoring Sora's memories, you readily agreed to assist him. To you, anything that would help Sora was worth it. When you learned that Roxas was needed in order to restore Sora's memories, you went so far as to sacrifice your physical being in order to defeat him and bring him to Ansem. You did not care what happened to yourself; so long as your friend was safe, you could live with what you had become."

It was Mickey's turn to cut in. "Riku, whatever dark deeds you may have committed in the past, the only thing that matters is that you climbed back up into the light. And you did so not to redeem yourself, but to correct the mistakes that had hurt the ones you loved, so that even if you were beyond saving, your friends would at least be okay. I'm glad I met you when I did, and I'm proud to call you my friend."

Riku looked up at Mickey and gave him a thankful nod.

"Yours is a fairytale story of redemption," continued Master Yen Sid. "Not many people can claim to have been corrupted by darkness, only to turn away from its powerful influence. To have fallen so far and yet stand before me now stronger and wiser than ever before . . . it is a remarkable feat indeed. Like Mickey said, you may have been entangled by the darkness before, but now you are a better person because of it. Riku, you are ready to take the next step."

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid," said Riku, bowing slightly.

Master Yen Sid nodded. "Sora, Riku, the two of you exhibit all the qualities that are required of a Keyblade Master – courage, honesty, selflessness, wisdom, and most importantly, virtue. What the two of you have accomplished during your journeys supersedes anything the Mark of Mastery Exam could ever gauge."

"Your stories differ vastly from each other," stated Mickey. "Yet although you've walked different paths, each has brought you to the same crossroad."

"Yes," said Master Yen Sid. "The two of you possess everything required of a Keyblade Master, and so much more. No examination is required. All that remains now is for you to _show_ the Mark of Mastery."

"How do we do that?" asked a bewildered and overwhelmed Sora.

"Although it is the Master's choice to decide when their apprentice is adequately prepared for Mastery, it is the wielder's Keyblade that ultimately passes judgment," Master Yen Sid explained. "No one knows you quite like your Keyblade, and just as the weapon chose you to be its wielder, it is also what decides if you are worthy of the rank of Master."

Sora had heard many times before that a Keyblade chooses its wielder, but never before had he actually stopped to contemplate the idea that his weapon actually possessed conscious thought. He thought about his Ultima Weapon for a moment, having discovered a newfound appreciation for it.

Mickey summoned his own Keyblade once again. "Every Keyblade Master possesses the ability to communicate with their Keyblade. Only by doing so can the Mark of Mastery be shown."

Sora watched as Mickey closed his eyes and brought his Star Seeker up to his face, gripping the hilt tightly with both hands. For a moment nothing happened. Mickey stood in silent meditation as the others looked on in suspense. Suddenly, Mickey's eyes flew open and a flash of blinding light emanated from his Keyblade. Sora shielded his eyes from the intense illumination, which seemed to grow across the room with each passing second. Just when he thought the light would engulf the entire room, it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Sora lowered his hand from his eyes, staring in awe at the sight before him.

"This is my Mark of Mastery," proclaimed Mickey, lowering his Keyblade.

Floating directly in front of Mickey was the crown symbol of the Keyblade, made of pure light and seemingly etched into the air.

"Whoa," muttered Sora, astounded by the sight.

Riku and Kairi studied the symbol carefully, mesmerized by the floating emblem. Beside them, Donald and Goofy stood with their jaws dropped.

Sora, enthralled by Mickey's Mark of Mastery, glanced at Mickey for approval, and when he received a nod of acknowledgement, he lifted his arm toward the shimmering image. As he passed his hand through the symbol, the light instantly dissolved.

"So what you're saying is when we communicate with the Keyblade, we're basically asking it if it believes we're ready to become a Master?" asked Sora.

"Yes," conveyed Master Yen Sid. "And if the Mark of Mastery appears, it is the Keyblade's way of telling its wielder that it accepts them as a Master."

"Now it's your turn," informed Mickey. "Summon your Keyblades."

Sora's Ultima Weapon appeared in his hand instantly, as did Riku's Way to the Dawn in his.

"Raise them in front of you," Mickey said, repeating his earlier movement. "Close your eyes."

Sora and Riku followed suit.

"Now, I want you to concentrate. Remember that your Keyblade is as much a part of your being as anything else. As such, communicating with it requires you to reach inside of yourself."

Sora focused on Mickey's words, trying his best to block out everything around him.

"Open yourself up. Allow your Keyblade into your thoughts."

Mickey's voice was almost a whisper now. Sora could feel the room around him disappearing. The process was happening a lot faster than he had anticipated. He was falling through an abyss of darkness. Up ahead he could see a shining platform. He knew this place; he had been there before. It was his Dive to the Heart.

The platform grew large in size, and before Sora knew it, his descent had begun to slow. As the circular pillar neared, Sora realized there were others standing upon the platform's surface. He landed on his feet in the center of the circle, and was momentarily taken aback. Standing before him was none other than himself.

The other Sora held the Kingdom Key in his hand, and was staring at Sora, a blank expression on his face. Sora eyed him for a moment before leaning to the side in order to look past his doppelganger. Kairi, Riku, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey stood behind him. As he looked around, he began to recognize the others standing around him. Master Yen Sid, Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Cid, Cloud, and Merlin were all watching him, each with absolutely no expression on their face. Sora understood immediately – they were the people he cared about most; those closest to his heart. Sora smiled as he scanned the faces of his friends, who in turn smiled back.

When Sora returned his gaze to his double, he spotted a trio of individuals standing beside Kairi, who had not been there a moment ago. He recognized two of them immediately. The short, blonde one was Sora's Nobody, Roxas. Sora nodded in his direction and the nod was returned. Next to him was Axel, formerly of Organization XIII. Sora recalled the sacrifice Axel had made for him; he had given his life in order to save Sora, and he had done so in order to protect Roxas, his best friend. It was the third individual, a girl with black hair, whom Sora did not recognize. He was sure he had never met her before, but for some odd reason she seemed so familiar to him, although he could not recall how or why. Whoever this girl was, she seemed happy alongside Roxas and Axel, and before Sora could ponder her identity any longer, she suddenly vanished, along with everyone else on the platform save for the other Sora.

"Hello," stated Sora aloud.

"Hello," replied the other Sora.

Sora was momentarily surprised by his double's response – he had not been expecting one.

"You're a representation of my Keyblade, am I right?"

The other Sora nodded. "Yes."

"And this is all taking place inside of my subconscious?"

"Something like that."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Sora said. "You've, uh, saved my life, quite a few times now."

"I'm nothing without you," responded the other Sora. "You're the one doing all the fighting."

Sora had to laugh. "I guess that's true. Still, I couldn't have gotten this far without you."

"Nor I, you," the double responded. "Ours is a symbiotic relationship. We depend on each other and trust each other."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Neither would I," said the other Sora. "Now, you're here to ask me something."

"Yes," Sora answered. "But now that I'm here, I'm not sure if I'm ready."

The other Sora took a few steps forward. "Tell me, do you love your friends?"

Sora nodded. "Of course I do."

"Would you do anything for them?"

"Without question."

The other Sora nodded. "I'm a part of you, which means I know you're telling the truth. Sora, you have no reason to doubt yourself. I chose you for a reason. You heard what Master Yen Sid and King Mickey said. You've saved the Universe twice now. You accepted your responsibilities before you even knew they were yours to accept. You've already proven you can rise to any occasion. And I know you fight to protect the ones you care about. So stop whining like a baby and ask what you came here to ask."

Sora locked eyes with his counterpart, chuckling at being insulted by himself. "Thanks. For everything."

The other Sora grinned at him and gave him a confident nod. "Just keep doing what you're doing. That is thank you enough."

Sora returned the nod. As he did, the other Sora's form suddenly changed. Sora was now looking at Roxas once again. Or at least he thought he was. Although the boy standing before him was the spitting image of his Nobody, something about him seemed different. However, just like the girl from earlier, Sora felt as though he knew this person.

Without so much as questioning the boy's identity, Sora proclaimed, "I am ready to become a Master. Do you accept me?"

The platform and everything around Sora exploded in a burst of light before vanishing from existence. He was soaring now, moving upwards at incredible speed through the sea of darkness. Above him Sora could just make out a glimmering light and he realized he was moving directly toward it. The closer he got, the more he could feel reality reforming around him. The light grew more and more intense, but the brightness did not seem to affect Sora. He gazed into the center of the light without fear, basking in its warmth. When the light could grow no further, Sora closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was back in Master Yen Sid's study, his Keyblade held tightly in front of his chest. At first he seemed unsure of his surroundings, but then he caught Kairi's gaze, and realized immediately that he had returned to reality.

After a moment, Sora noticed that Kairi, as well as Donald and Goofy, were staring in disbelief, not at him directly, but at something in front of him. He turned and saw that Mickey was smiling at him, seemingly impressed. It took Sora all of three seconds to understand why. Floating before him, shimmering like the brightest of stars, was the crown symbol of the Keyblade in all its glory. Captivated by the insignia's radiance and in disbelief over his own accomplishment, a look of utter incredulity spread across Sora's face.

Beside him, Riku's eyes flew open and his own Mark of Mastery emblem manifested before him. He seemed out of breath for a moment, but after realizing what he had just achieved, he composed himself.

"Your Keyblades have spoken," declared Mickey, breaking the veil of silence. "They have deemed you worthy. Sora, Riku, from this moment forth, you are Keyblade Masters."

Sora and Riku nodded in unison but remained silent.

"Now you understand how important the relationship between a Keyblade and its wielder is," said Master Yen Sid. "Remember this, for your Keyblade, like your companions, will be there for you always."

"That's right," added Mickey.

Sora took a moment to study his Ultima Weapon for a moment. _Thank you_, he thought, before dismissing the weapon. As soon as he did, his Mark of Mastery dissolved just as Mickey's had done earlier. Beside him, Riku followed suit.

"Now that you are Masters of the Keyblade, there a few things for you to know," said Master Yen Sid. "First, being a Master opens up new possibilities in terms of combat abilities. For instance, Sora, normally in order to initiate a Drive Form it requires merging with either Donald or Goofy, and in some cases both of them. That is no longer necessary. All of your base Drive Forms can now be accessed independently, and do not require you to fuse with your companions.

"I always thought it was a little rude of me to do that in the heat of battle," said Sora, turning to Donald and Goofy. "Looks like I won't have to anymore."

Donald and Goofy nodded, smiling.

"You can also form new Drive Forms with other companions," added Mickey. "Throughout your travels you should try experimenting. You may come to develop some powerful combinations."

Master Yen Sid continued. "Additionally, you can now use different Keychains interchangeably while in combat. If the Keyblade you are using is not suiting your needs, you need only switch out the Keychain with another."

"That should definitely come in handy," stated Riku, pleased with the news.

"Also, as your skills and abilities evolve with time, so will your Keyblades," Mickey said. "The more in tune you are with your Keyblade, the more it will grow and develop to your liking."

Master Yen Sid nodded. "Other abilities will become available with practice as well. But those are for you to discover on your own."

Sora and Riku nodded once again.

"Now, before you make your leave, Mickey and I have a few parting gifts for you," declared Master Yen Sid. He reached into his cloak and extracted a small item "Sora, this was the last Keychain I used before retiring as a Keyblade Master. It is called Warlock's Ultimatum. I would like you to have it."

The small pendant floated toward Sora, who graciously opened his palm and allowed the Keychain to settle upon it.

"That was the second Keychain I ever forged and the one that has seen the most combat," Master Yen Sid revealed. "Throughout the years, I utilized many Keychains. But none seemed to suit me quite like this one, and as such I found myself switching back to it every so often. I consider it to be my crown jewel. Although it favors magic over offense, it has unusually long reach and also provides a barrier against magic attacks."

Sora summoned his Ultima Weapon and removed its Keychain, which converted the blade back into its standard Kingdom Key form. He then added the Warlock's Ultimatum Keychain and watched as his blade morphed before his eyes.

Master Yen Sid had not been exaggerating when he said the weapon had unusually long reach. The white blade was at least six inches longer than that of his Ultima Weapon, and its dark-blue hilt was considerably smaller. Starting from the hilt and moving in a spiral around the length of the blade was a combined stream of the four primary elements – Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. The energy stream culminated into a single bolt of electricity at the blade's tip. Although doubtful he could properly wield such a large blade, after taking a few practice swings, Sora was surprised to learn that the oddly large design actually complemented his fighting style.

"It's perfect," said Sora, dismissing the weapon. "Thank you."

Master Yen Sid nodded. "May it serve you as well as it did me."

"And for you, Riku," declared Mickey producing his own Keychain, "I give my very first Keychain, Majestic Fury."

Mickey handed the Keychain to Riku, and just as Sora had done seconds earlier, he summoned his Keyblade and switched out his Way to the Dawn Keychain with the Majestic Fury.

The weapon was considerably shorter than Sora's but still had decent reach. Where the red blade met the black and gold handle was a regal crown of sorts. Protruding downward from the crown were two jewel-encrusted wings.

"The name comes from my interest in oxymorons and contradictions," conveyed Mickey. "I used that Keychain throughout the majority of my Keyblade training. Originally, and believe it or not, I used to be more of a brute-force type fighter. But my natural-born agility has always been my greatest asset in combat, so I forged the Star Seeker and adopted a more . . . unconventional approach to combat, as Master Yen Sid would put it."

Master Yen Sid chuckled. "Until you came along, Mickey, there was no one small or nimble enough to fight the way you do. At the time, all that flipping and jumping around . . . it was overwhelming for an old man like me."

Everyone in the room burst into laughter at Master Yen Sid's comment. It was the closest Sora had ever heard Master Yen Sid come to cracking a joke.

"Anyway," said Mickey after a moment, "Although it doesn't look it, that baby can dole out some serious damage. It can be wielded either with one or both hands efficiently. And the best part is I added a spell to it that, when activated, greatly reduces the user's fatigue. That comes in especially handy during flurries and lengthy assaults."

"That is awesome," Riku proclaimed. "Thanks, Mickey."

Mickey nodded. "Use it well."

The weapon vanished from Riku's hand as he looked up. "Oh, I will."

"Master Yen Sid, sir," declared Sora. "You mentioned something about forging your own Keyblade?"

"Yes," replied Master Yen Sid. "Forging one's own Keychain is a very delicate and time consuming art that, with the exception of Mickey, who picked it up rather quickly, requires years of practice in order to perfect."

"Once this is all over I can show you how it's done," said Mickey.

"Sounds good," Sora responded.

Master Yen Sid cleared his throat once again. "Now, a few more things to go over before you depart. First, as Goofy mentioned earlier, Maleficent and Pete may still be out there. They control a vast amount of Heartless and are no doubt plotting against us even as we speak."

Sora recalled the assistance that the evil sorceress and her bumbling minion had provided back in the Castle That Never Was. Although the only reason Maleficent had helped them was to further her own nefarious goals, Sora was still grateful to her and Pete, and disliked the fact that they were still enemies. He wondered whether they had made it out of the castle before it was destroyed.

"Those two may seem small-time in comparison to the threat we now face," continued Master Yen Sid. "But they pose a threat nonetheless. There is no telling where and when they may appear, and if they do, you should not underestimate them."

"Got it," answered Sora, assuredly.

"Good," said Master Yen Sid. "Secondly, you'll be stopping in Radiant Garden before beginning your journey. Leon and the others are waiting for you there. They'll be providing some new equipment and important intelligence regarding these uncharted sectors."

Sora nodded. "Awesome. It'll be good to see those guys again before we're off."

"And as I mentioned earlier, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather are there as well, helping Merlin with his work," stated Master Yen Sid. "They should be able to find you some new clothes."

"Hopefully," said Riku. "He stunk up the cockpit on the way over here."

Donald and Goofy giggled quietly.

Master Yen Sid turned to Kairi. "Kairi, there is also the matter of your Keyblade training. While Sora and Riku embark on this quest, you will remain behind in Radiant Garden to begin your training."

"Understood," replied Kairi.

"I know it's a little soon, but we're gonna need all the help we can get," stated Mickey.

Kairi smiled. "No worries. I'm eager to get to work. I wouldn't be much use on the frontlines against the Heartless, now would I? The sooner we begin, the less I'll be sidelined."

"Do you see that device?" asked Master Yen Sid, motioning toward the odd doorway in the corner that Sora had noticed earlier. "Merlin brought it here a few days ago. From what I gather, Cid is developing a way to travel instantaneously from one world to another."

"You mean like a portal?" Riku asked.

"Yes," Master Yen Sid replied. "This gate here is linked to an identical one in Merlin's house. The reason I brought it up, Kairi, is because although you will be training in Radiant Garden, should Cid succeed with this project, I will be able to be involved with your training as well."

"Take it from me," declared Mickey. "There's no better teacher than Master Yen Sid."

"I would be honored to train under you, sir," said Kairi, smiling.

"It would be my honor to train you," replied Master Yen Sid.

"You and I better watch out," Riku muttered to Sora, albeit loud enough for everyone else to hear. "Kairi's gonna leave us in the dust if we don't stay on top of our game."

Riku's comment brought about laughter from the others.

"We have one final thing to discuss," declared Master Yen Sid. "And it is arguably the most important."

Sora had a feeling what this important matter was.

"Sora, do you remember the people I mentioned in the letter I sent you?" asked Mickey.

"You mean the ones who are hurting?" responded Sora. "Yeah, I remember."

Mickey nodded. "I wasn't lying when I said you are who you are because of them. Like you, they too fought to defend the realm of light from the forces of darkness. Their sacrifices paved the way for the three of you to wield the Keyblade. Unfortunately each of them have become lost in some way, and they've been gone for a real long time. I can't go into detail right now, but what I can say is that we're close to locating one of them."

"None of them deserved what happened to them," said Master Yen Sid. "If we can find and save them, they will prove to be valuable allies. While you are gone, I will continue to search for them. Should I learn anything about their whereabouts, I will contact you immediately."

"Understood," said Sora, his thoughts now abuzz with curiosity over the identity of these lost individuals.

If what Mickey said was true, and they really were the ones responsible for his receiving of the Keyblade, then Sora owed them everything. Although he had no idea who these people were, the news that they have been hurting for so long was no less discomforting.

"I think that's everything," said Mickey. "We should get going."

Master Yen Sid rose from his seat once again. "Yes. Once all your preparations are in order, I'll contact you again. Now, wielders of the Keyblade, go forth. The fate of the Universe rests in your hands. We're counting on you."

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid," responded Sora. "For everything."

Riku gave him a thumbs-up. "You can count on us."

"We won't let you down," added Kairi.

From behind them, Donald took a step forward. "And we'll be there to keep them safe."

Goofy stood at attention and gave a firm salute. "That's right. We'll look after them."

Master Yen Sid smiled at them all and nodded. "Good luck. And remember, the Keyblade will always serve as your guide."

And with that, the group turned toward the door and filed out of the study, as Master Yen Sid looked on from behind.

As they descended the staircase, a single thought crossed Sora's mind. _The fate of the Universe rests in your hands_. He looked up at the others who were already deep in excited conversation over recent developments. Although glad he had his friends with him this time around, Sora couldn't deny that he felt a tinge of nervousness at what the future held for them. _The fate of the Universe, huh? No pressure_.

* * *

Master Yen Sid waited until the others had exited the study before taking his seat once again. He took a moment to look around the room and exhale slowly before waving his hand in front of him. A large crystal orb appeared before him, resting on the desk.

Reaching out, he slid the ball closer to himself, gazing into its center. At first there was nothing, but after a moment, clusters of constellations and other celestial bodies began to appear in the orb's center. Master Yen Sid studied the images and whispered, "Terra, Ventus, Aqua. You have not been forgotten. Please hold on a little longer. We're coming for you."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Well, there you have it. From all the other stories I've read dealing with the Mark of Mastery Exam, I think my take is a little different. Personally, I did not like how they portrayed the Mark of Mastery Exam in "Birth By Sleep." Considering how important becoming a Keyblade Master is, and the sheer magnitude of such an event, the way they presented it was severely underwhelming and I felt they didn't give it the attention it truly deserved.

Also, if destroying orbs of light and a quick sparring session is all it takes to become a Keyblade Master, then as far as I'm concerned, Sora and Riku qualified for Mastery a long, long time ago. In my opinion, after everything they've accomplished, neither of them should have to take any exam. They've saved the Universe twice now. 'Nuff said.

The next chapter will have our heroes returning to Radiant Garden for some new toys and upgrades. Also, I'll be introducing some new characters as well. As always, your comments, questions, and concerns are always greatly appreciated. Until next time!


	8. Gummi Station

**X**

**- 7 -**

**Gummi Station**

* * *

**Radiant Garden Airspace**

"RG Station Command this is the _Highwind_ requesting clearance to dock, over."

Mickey's voice awoke Sora from his nap. He rubbed his eyes and sat up in his chair, scanning the cockpit as he did so. He noticed that Kairi, Riku, and Goofy had also succumbed to sleep during the trip; the three of them were out cold in their seats. Mickey was seated at the head of the cockpit, maneuvering the _Highwind_ at a slow pace. Standing on Mickey's right was Donald, his hand on Mickey's seat. He was leaning forward, watching something through the windshield.

"Copy that, _Highwind_," said a voice over the radio. "Go ahead and transmit your clearance codes for verification, over."

"Transmitting clearance codes now," replied Mickey, pressing a button on the control console in front of him.

Sora recognized the voice on the other end as belonging to Cid. "Hey, what's going on?"

Donald turned around, momentarily startled. "Oh, you're awake. Just in time."

Sora cleared his throat. "Yeah, I guess I was a little more exhausted than I thought. How long was I out?"

"A few hours," Donald replied, waving him over. "Get over here, you'll wanna see this. We've just entered Radiant Garden's orbit. We're about to dock with the Gummi Station."

"Gummi Station?" asked Sora, rising from his seat quickly.

"Clearance codes verified," Cid's voice announced after a few seconds. "You're cleared to dock in Bay 2. Welcome back, guys."

"Copy that, command," answered Mickey. "Docking in Bay 2. Over and out."

Sora made his way to the front of the cockpit, fixing his hair as he did so.

Donald stepped aside and pointed toward the windshield. "Look."

Sora looked out through the glass and immediately understood what Donald was talking about. The _Highwind_ was slowly approaching an immense construct in orbit around Radiant Garden. The station was comprised of a massive sphere centered inside of an outer ring. Six bridges around the ring extended out to circular docking platforms. Red and white blinking lights were scattered all across the station's exterior, making the structure nearly impossible to miss.

"What the . . ?" muttered Sora, staring in awe at the Gummi Station.

"Impressive, huh?" asked Mickey without taking his eyes off the task of flying the ship.

Sora nodded and turned around. "Guys! Wake up! You've gotta see this!"

Goofy slowly came to in his seat. "I'll fix ya some breakfast in a minute, Max."

"Goofy," exclaimed a bewildered Sora. "Who are you talking to?"

Goofy, still half asleep, rubbed his eyes and scratched his head, taking a few seconds to wake up before turning to Sora. "Oh, uh, sorry, Sora. Talkin' in my sleep."

Kairi rolled around in her seat. "What's with all the yelling?"

"Seriously, man," mumbled Riku, yawning. "Keep it down."

"Hurry up!" pushed Sora. "Before we land!"

Goofy, Kairi, and Riku shambled out of their seats with about as much enthusiasm as children waking up on the first day of school. When their eyes settled on the gargantuan Gummi Station, however, the fog of drowsiness quickly vanished.

"Whoa," was all Riku could manage to say.

"Where in the world did that come from?" asked Goofy, more to himself than anyone.

The group stared in silent awe as Mickey navigated the _Highwind_ towards the circular platform with the number 2 painted in white on its side. Sora had never flown in a Gummi Ship with Mickey before, but from what he could tell, the King was very comfortable at the helm. Sora had almost forgotten that Mickey was one of the first to utilize Gummi technology. He watched as Mickey guided the _Highwind_ effortlessly along the side of the station.

Just ahead, Docking Bay 2's massive doors had already parted for them, and Sora noticed that there was another Gummi Ship already docked inside the hangar. "Whose ship is that?"

"That would be mine," answered Mickey. "I had Chip and Dale bring it over here so Cid could take a look at it."

The moment the ship crossed the threshold, an airlock bridge began to extend from the edge of the hangar. A pair of giant spotlights powered on simultaneously overhead, and the titanic hangar that had been dim only seconds ago was now aglow. The interior of the docking bay was literally an enormous disc, and even from inside of the cockpit, Sora could hear the echo of the metal hangar doors sliding closed behind them. Mickey brought the ship in until it was at optimum docking height. He lined the station's airlock up with the _Highwind_'s, and before Sora knew it, the ship was successfully anchored with the Gummi Station.

"Well, here we are," declared Mickey as he began powering down the _Highwind_.

"That was some pretty smooth flying," Riku said, scanning the various knobs and buttons before him. "You've gotta teach me sometime."

Mickey hopped out of his seat. "I'm sure you'll be getting plenty of practice very soon. But it's a no-brainer once you get a feel for the controls. You'll pick it up quick."

Donald made his way to the portside of the ship where the airlock door was located and entered a command into the wall panel next to it. "Flying's easy. It's the weapons systems that'll give you trouble. Taking out hundreds of Heartless ships whizzing by at high speed requires steady hands."

The airlock door slid open and everyone crowded inside the narrow chamber. Once inside, Donald entered another command into the control panel. The cockpit airlock door instantly slid closed with a loud clank, signifying that it was now securely sealed. As they waited for the air in the chamber to equalize with that of the station, Sora felt his ears pop.

"Whoa," he exclaimed, reacting to the momentary discomfort.

Riku stuck his index finger in his ear for a second. "Yeah, I felt it too."

Kairi nodded. "Me too. That's gonna take some getting used to."

Donald and Goofy, equally affected by the equalization process, followed Riku's example of poking at their ears. Mickey, on the other hand, seemed perfectly normal.

Riku couldn't help but chuckle. "I guess those big ears come in handy after all, huh?"

Everyone, including Mickey, burst into laughter at Riku's comment.

Sora turned to Goofy. "So, who's Max?"

"My son," answered Goofy.

Sora was momentarily stunned. "You never told me you had a son, Goofy."

Goofy nodded. "Yup. I'm a proud father."

"How old is he?" Kairi asked.

"He'll be nineteen in a few months."

A thought crossed Sora's mind. "How come we didn't see him at Disney Castle?"

"He doesn't live in the castle," explained Goofy. "He's away at college right now."

"You must miss him," said Kairi. "When's the last time you saw him?"

"Just a few days ago actually. He came home for a long weekend right after we got back from Destiny Islands. He was there for three days, so we got to spend some quality time together before duty called."

Kairi was happy to hear that. "That's nice. Good for you."

Goofy nodded. "Yeah."

The airlock door finally opened, revealing a dimly lit corridor. However, light from the spotlights outside filtered in through the windows, providing adequate visibility.

"Welcome to Gummi Station," greeted a familiar voice from a loudspeaker overhead. "The time and date of your arrival has been logged. Enjoy your stay."

Donald turned to Sora. "Hey, that sounded like Tron."

Indeed Sora had also recognized the automated voice as belonging to Tron, a program that he, Donald, and Goofy had met when the three of them had become trapped inside of Ansem's computer.

Sora looked up at the loudspeaker. "Tron? Is that you?"

But there was no reply.

"Maybe it's just a recording," surmised Kairi.

Sora nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. Come on."

As they made their way across the airlock bridge, Sora took a look out of one of the windows on his right to get a better view of Mickey's Gummi Ship. The blue and red vessel was significantly smaller than the _Highwind_, but Sora was familiar enough with Weapon Gummies to know that it had some very powerful armaments installed onto its hull; the ship was equipped for serious combat. Sora spotted the Disney coat of arms painted onto the side of the ship, as well as on the visible wing.

"Your ship looks awesome," declared Sora. "What's it called?"

"The _Ark Royal_," replied Mickey proudly. "She's my pride and joy."

Sora continued to study the ship. "She's really impressive."

"Yeah, well that's what happens when you give Chip and Dale free reign over all Gummi activities for a few months," explained Mickey, chuckling. "With enough time and some decent equipment, those two can work wonders."

As they neared the end of the bridge, the airlock door began to raise open.

"I'll admit, your boys do good work," spoke a voice from behind the door. "But they don't hold a candle to ol' Cid."

As the airlock door lifted up, the man behind it slowly came into view.

"Well, well," declared Cid, a wooden toothpick dangling out of the corner of his mouth. "If it ain't the Heartless stompin', Nobody thwompin', badass band of brothers." Spotting Kairi, he added, "Or should I say brothers and sister?"

"Is 'thwompin' even a word, Cid?" Sora asked, grinning.

"As of right now it is," answered Cid, lifting his goggles up to his forehead, covering the pointy bangs of his short, blonde hair. "But from the look of your duds, I'd say it was you who's been thwomped."

"Don't question his vocabulary," declared a voice from around the corner. "That's just asking for a lesson in bizarro phonics."

Turning the corner of the hallway was Leon, his arms folded in front of him. He was sporting his usual attire of a fur-collared black jacket with matching pants and gloves.

"Hey now," said Cid, using a moist cloth to wipe traces of engine oil from his hands. "There ain't nothin' wrong with my vocabulary."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure 'ain't' isn't a word either," remarked Riku.

Cid shook his head in disbelief as he used his oil-stained white shirt to dry his hands. "I come out here to greet you all like a good host should, and what do I get for it? A lesson in proper English. And by a bunch of kids no less."

Sora crossed the threshold of the airlock and patted Cid on the shoulder. "We're just messing around, Cid. I like your vocabulary just the way it is."

"I know, I know."

"So, what's the deal? Are we looking at a couple of full-fledged Keyblade Masters or what?" inquired Leon, eyeing the group.

Mickey smiled and nodded. "You betcha. Sora and Riku are our newest Keyblade Masters, and after some rigorous training, Kairi will be too."

"Well I'll be damned," proclaimed Cid. "Two real-life Keyblade Masters, with a third one on the way. And I had the privilege of helping 'em get there."

A grin spread across Leon's face. "Congratulations, guys. I'm proud of you. I feel a lot safer knowing it's you out there fighting on our side."

"Thanks," Sora replied, nodding. "But we didn't do it alone. Like Cid just said, you guys helped. And I mean a lot."

Cid waved his hand bashfully. "Aw, don't mention it, kid."

It suddenly occurred to Sora that a few introductions were in order. "Guys, you've already met Kairi. This is Riku."

Riku took a step forward and extended his hand to Cid. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise, kid," responded Cid, shaking Riku's hand firmly. "Welcome to the family."

Leon merely nodded in Riku's direction before turning to Sora. "So, was there an initiation ceremony that required you to roll around in the sand?" he asked, referring to Sora's dirty clothes.

Sora shook his head. "Long story. Tell you about it later."

Leon scoffed. "Right. Well, welcome to Gummi Station, guys. Come on in," he said, waving them all in before leading them down the circular corridor.

"So, whad'ya think?" asked Cid in a tone that suggested he had been awaiting their opinions. "Ain't she beautiful?"

"This place is enormous," said Goofy, gazing out the window.

"Your grasp of the obvious is inspiring, Goofy," declared an underwhelmed Cid.

Riku stuck his hands in his pockets as he walked. "She's impressive, Cid. No question about it."

"By the size of it, I'm guessing you guys didn't build this place?" asked Sora who was trying his best to get a good look down every corridor they passed.

Cid chuckled softly. "No way. Sadly, we don't have the manpower or the resources to construct something like this, 'cause if we did . . . man, don't even get me started."

Leon made a right at the next corridor. "We found it."

"You found it?" inquired a puzzled Goofy.

Leon nodded. "I'll explain once we're in the CIC."

"CIC?" repeated Kairi. "What's that?"

"Central Information Center," explained Cid. "It's like the command room for the entire station."

"That's right," stated Leon. "Flynn and Bradley are waiting for us there."

"Who?" Donald asked.

"The tech guys," answered Cid, matter-of-factly. "Computer nerds. Just like I'm a master of all things hardware, these guys are experts when it comes to software. Real geniuses, the both of them."

"Sounds like things have been busy for you guys," remarked Mickey.

"They sure have," Cid replied, making a right turn behind Leon at yet another intersection. "Between getting the station back online and helping with the restoration of the town, these past few weeks have been pretty hectic."

Leon stopped at a massive elevator door and pressed the call button. "But we manage." The elevator doors slid open at once and Leon stepped inside. "Going up."

The rest of them piled into the rather large lift and seconds later they were moving up through the center of the station.

Cid leaned against the wall of the elevator and put his hands behind his head. "When we first found this place, it took the elevator almost seven minutes to get from the docking bay level to the CIC. But after I stepped in and fooled around for a bit, I reduced that time by more than half."

Goofy was taken aback. "Gwarsh. Seven minutes in an elevator sounds mighty boring."

"You're not kidding," responded Leon. "Considering that we had to constantly be moving back and forth between the two levels when we were bringing this place back up to speed, those seven minutes started to add up."

Sora put his back against the wall and slid down until he was sitting. "Are Yuffie and Aerith here too?"

Leon shook his head. "No. Yuffie and the Gullwings are handling maintenance in the castle, and Aerith's assisting Merlin with some work in his house."

A thought immediately crossed Sora's mind. "Are they working on that portal thing?"

"Ah, so, you caught peek at my latest invention, huh?" asked Cid with a pride-filled smile etched across his face.

Donald seemed skeptical. "Do you actually think you can make a doorway like that? From one world to another in an instant? Sounds impossible."

"Man, impossible is my specialty," remarked Cid with a confident smile. "You'll be surprised what technology can accomplish these days."

"Seriously," added Leon. "Just wait until you get a look at Flynn's work. Instantaneous travel across long distances is pre-school stuff compared to some of the things he can do."

"Hey, easy now," remarked Cid smacking Leon lightly on the arm. "It may not be in the same league as Flynn's work, but it's still complex stuff."

Leon chuckled before turning to Sora. "So, I take it Organization XIII's been put out of commission?"

"Permanently," answered Sora as he eyed the increasing floor numbers displayed above the elevator doors. "They won't be bothering anyone anymore."

Cid removed the toothpick from his mouth and broke it in half. "Good to hear. Serves 'em right for betraying Ansem the Wise and destroying our home."

"Did you know them?" inquired Riku. "Before they were Nobodies?"

"I knew the castle guards, Dilan and Aeleus." Leon passed a finger over the diagonal scar between his eyes. "Once we figured out that Ansem's apprentices were the ones kidnapping people from town, I demanded an audience with Ansem. Those two were guarding the gate and wouldn't let me in. We went at it . . . and they left me with this."

Sora noticed a hint of shame and anger in Leon's recollection. Leon was a proud warrior and blamed himself for the horror that had befallen Radiant Garden. He had even changed his name in order to escape his past failures.

Cid seemed to notice Leon's sudden mood swing as well. "They were a tight knit group," he explained, moving the conversation along. "Very secretive. Occasionally that pompous prick, Even, would come into town for some supplies with that little boy. What was his name? Ienzo I think it was? But other than that we never really met any of 'em."

"What about Xehanort?" Sora queried. "Did you ever meet him?"

"No," answered Leon, shaking his head. "He never left the castle. But I certainly would've liked to."

No one spoke throughout the rest of the elevator ride, Leon having made it clear he did not wish to discuss the past. The moment the doors opened, Donald was the first one out.

"Sheesh," he declared, his hands on his hips. "For a two and a half minute ride, you could at least add some elevator music."

Cid exited the lift and walked past him. "Oh yeah. I'll be sure to move that to the top of my 'To Do' list, Donald."

Leon allowed Sora and the others to file out first. "Welcome to the CIC," he announced.

"The whole place is run from here?" asked Goofy as he took in the room.

"That's right," answered Cid.

The Central Information Center was a wide, rotund room situated at the top of Gummi Station. Being that it was completely circular, a thick glass window ran around the perimeter of the CIC, allowing anyone inside an unobstructed view of Radiant Garden below. It was filled with computer terminals and monitors of varying shapes and sizes, which led Sora to conclude that at least a dozen or so people were required to man all the stations in the room at any one time. However, at the moment, the CIC was completely empty, save for two men standing on either side of a long table, which, from what Sora could gather, seemed to be displaying a holographic image of some sort from its center.

"Hey," announced Leon. "We're back."

The two men turned simultaneously, momentarily startled.

"Looks like we've got some visitors," spoke one of the men, lowering a pair of wire-rimmed glasses from his eyes.

The other man smiled and lifted some sort of tablet device from the table. He punched in a few commands, which caused the holographic image above the table to instantly dissolve.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Kevin Flynn and Alan Bradley," announced Leon as he approached the men. "Flynn, Alan, this is everyone."

The man with the glasses loosened the gray necktie of his matching-colored suit and stepped forward. "So, these are the heroes, huh? I've heard nothing but great things."

"Hey!" exclaimed Donald. "You sound just like-"

"Tron?" asked the man, finishing Donald's sentence. "Well I should. I designed him."

"You created Tron?" inquired Sora, surprised. "You're his user?"

The man smiled and nodded. "That's right. Alan Bradley. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Sora returned the nod. "Likewise."

"But wait," stated Goofy. "I thought Ansem the Wise was Tron's user?"

Alan turned to Goofy. "You're partially right. Tron was originally my program, but after helping Ansem the Wise set up the network in his castle, I let him 'borrow' Tron and transferred him into Ansem's new network."

"Wow," declared Sora. "So, you're the one who designed Space Paranoids?"

"Me? No, I just helped with a few things here and there." Alan smiled and turned to the man next to him. "This is the real mastermind."

The other man patted Alan on the shoulder and took a step forward. "Kevin Flynn. Friends call me Flynn."

The first thing that Sora noticed about Flynn was that he radiated with good nature. He greeted them with a sincere smile, and just seemed to be in a cheery mood. "Nice to meet you."

"So, you're the little dude that's saved us twice now?" Flynn remarked, his hands sliding into the pockets of his dark-blue jeans. "You've got no idea how much we appreciate everything you've done for Radiant Garden. There isn't anything quite like 'home, sweet home.'"

"We can attest to that," replied Riku, exchanging glances with Sora and Kairi.

Flynn smiled at Riku's comment.

"Are you guys from Radiant Garden too?" Donald asked.

Alan nodded. "Born and raised."

"After the Heartless invaded, we fled along with everyone else," explained Flynn. "During the chaos, a lot of us got split up. But thankfully we all managed to find our way back home. And wouldn't you know it, she's safe and sound once more."

"And before you know it, she'll be looking just as beautiful as she used to," added Cid with a thumbs up.

Flynn nodded at Cid. "That's why I joined the Restoration Committee," he revealed. "I want my son to grow up in the same beautiful world I was raised in."

"You're a father too?" inquired Kairi, glancing over in Goofy's direction.

Flynn turned to Goofy. "Ah, so, you too, huh? Then you know what I mean."

"I sure do," declared Goofy, nodding.

Flynn reached inside his black leather jacket and extracted a photo of a smiling young boy with shaggy brown hair. "My son, Sam. He's seven."

The picture brought a smile to everyone's face, including Leon's.

Kairi looked from the photo to Flynn, and back again. "Wow, he looks just like you."

"So I'm told," replied Flynn as he returned the picture to his jacket pocket. "My wife passed away a few years back. Sam's all I've got now. Everything I'm doing now is to ensure a bright future for him. That's why my work is so important."

"With a mindset like that, I'm sure you'll make a great dad for Sam," said Kairi with a smile.

"I like to think I'm on the right track," responded Flynn with a nod.

"Your boy's got nothing to worry about, Flynn," declared Leon. "At the rate we're going, Radiant Garden will be back to her old self in no time. Sam's in good hands. "

"What exactly are you working on?" asked Sora, with a tone suggesting extreme curiosity. He could only imagine what the creator of Space Paranoids was capable of concocting.

From the look on Flynn's face, Sora guessed he had been waiting for someone to ask just that.

"Why don't I show you?"

Flynn waved them all over to the table that he and Alan had been working at earlier. He picked up the tablet device lying on its surface and punched in a few commands. The holographic image from before reappeared instantly, however, the sudden emergence of illumination momentarily blinded Sora.

"Ah, sorry about the brightness," remarked Flynn, noticing Sora's discomfort. "I've gotten so used to it that I don't even notice anymore. Your eyes adjust to it after awhile. Hang on." He typed in a few commands on the tablet and the hologram immediately grew dimmer. "There we go."

With the brightness at a more optimal level, Sora was able to get a better look at the blue display hovering before him. After a few seconds of examination, a feeling of familiarity suddenly dawned upon him.

"Sora, I'm told you've been inside Ansem's computer, am I right?" asked Flynn.

Sora's eyes remained on the holographic display. "Yeah. Goofy, Donald, and I accidentally got sucked in there."

"I know exactly what you mean," said Flynn, with a slight chuckle. "Do you recall the layout?"

Sora nodded. "For the most part, yeah."

"Alright." Flynn zoomed out of the area slowly until the entirety of Space Paranoids was visible. "Why don't you point out all the main areas for everyone?"

Sora stepped forward and took a moment to recall the points of interest. "Well, you've got the Pit Cell here, and there's the Canyon . . ."

"Don't forget the Dataspace and the I/O Tower," Donald pitched in.

"And the Game Grid," added Goofy, pointing out the large square area where the deadly light cycle matches are held.

Sora nodded. "Right, right. And then there's the Simulation Hangar, and way over here is the Central Computer Mesa."

"Good memory," said Flynn, impressed. "And how long is that Solar Sailor ride from the Simulation Hangar to the Central Computer Mesa?"

"About ten minutes or so," answered Goofy.

"So, overall it's a pretty expansive map, wouldn't you agree?"

Sora nodded once more. "Yeah, now that I think about it, it's a lot of ground to cover."

"Okay, so just to confirm, we've established that Space Paranoids is a pretty big place, correct?" asked Flynn.

"Yeah," replied Sora. "But where are you going with this?"

Sora's comment brought a smile to Flynn's face. "This is where I'm going with it."

The image zoomed away rapidly from Space Paranoids, the area becoming smaller and smaller with each passing second. Moments later it was out of sight completely, and yet the image continued to zoom out, soaring past clouds in the digital sky. Before long the image finally halted, and Sora understood exactly what Flynn was trying to show them.

"Whoa," muttered Sora.

He was looking at a bustling city filled with towering skyscrapers and other immense structures. The sprawling metropolis dominated a good deal of the western part of the map. Past the city's borders was a vast expanse of land that seemed to go on forever. Sora could not believe the level of detail that had been put into the simulated reality.

"You understand now?" declared Flynn. "Space Paranoids, as big as it is, is just a small piece in a much, much larger puzzle. There's a whole world in there, and you've merely experienced a fraction of it."

Sora could not believe what he was seeing. "A whole . . . world?"

"A digital frontier," answered Flynn. "I call it the Grid."

"That's incredible," declared an awestruck Riku.

"Tell me about it," declared Cid. "You should've seen my reaction the first time I found out."

Riku moved closer to the table to get a better look at the display. "You created all of that?"

Flynn nodded. "Ever since I was a kid I was always fascinated by computers, particularly their inner workings. I used to wonder how they functioned and what they looked like inside. I grew up playing video games and reading science-fiction comics, so as you can imagine, all of my nerd-related fantasies factored into my vision of what the computer world was like."

Sora had to laugh at that, and so did the others.

Flynn continued speaking. "I remember trying to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer. What did they look like? Ships? Motorcycles? Were the circuits like freeways? I kept dreaming of a world I thought I'd never see." He paused for a moment, seemingly recalling a pleasant memory. "And then, one day . . . I got in."

"You got in?" Sora asked.

Flynn nodded. "Yes. It was completely by accident, not unlike what happened to you guys. The experience was everything I had imagined and more. It opened my eyes to so many things, and ever since then I've dedicated my life to understanding, discovering, and improving everything that's out there. Or rather, in there."

Sora knew he was too young to fully grasp the magnitude of Flynn's work, yet even so, he was nonetheless blown away by the man's presentation. "What exactly is in there?"

The question brought a smile to Flynn's face. "A new world, man. In there is our future . . . our destiny. You might think it's just a simulated reality, but it can be so much more than that."

"And that's what you're working on?" inquired Sora, genuinely intrigued by Flynn's speech.

Flynn nodded. "That's right, man. A digital frontier to reshape the human condition. The perfect system!"

"Sounds like a lot of work for one person," remarked Mickey.

"You're absolutely right," agreed Flynn. "An undertaking like this would be impossible to accomplish alone. That's why I've recruited the best of the best to assist me."

Flynn punched a few commands into the tablet device, which caused the holographic display to dissolve. He led them across the CIC to a massive computer screen that took up nearly two-thirds of the wall it was built into.

"This is the Gummi Station's main computer," explained Flynn. "If I'm not in the Grid doing some hands-on tasking, you can most likely find me working from here."

"He's practically glued to that chair," said Alan with a slight smile. "Bit of a workaholic."

"That's not exactly good for your back," stated Kairi.

"So I keep hearing," replied Flynn as he took his seat at the computer and began typing. "Yuffie's on top of me everyday, telling me I need to get out and exercise. Which I do . . . sometimes."

"Never," mumbled Alan, to which Sora and the others giggled.

"So, you actually work from within the Grid?" Sora asked.

"Of course," replied Flynn. "Out here I can only do so much. But in there is where the most important work is done."

"I look over things out here whenever Flynn goes in," explained Alan. "It's always safe to have someone manning the computer on the outside in case something goes wrong inside."

"Alan's my guardian angel," said Flynn. "Always looking out for me."

Alan folded his arms. "Flynn has a tendency to be a bit . . . reckless, for lack of a better word. Someone has to keep an eye on him, so it might as well be me."

Flynn smiled to himself as he typed. "You worry too much, Alan. Sure, sometimes I can be a little-"

"Childish," declared Alan quickly.

Flynn paused for a moment before nodding. "Fair enough. I can be childish. But contrary to what you might think, I know what I'm doing, and you've gotta learn to trust me more."

"I do trust you, Flynn. But when you go off alone in there without telling anyone, that's a betrayal of my trust."

"Oh, come on, Alan. You're being overly dramatic. I've only done that twice."

"I've only caught you twice," Alan countered. "Knowing you, it's probably been much more than that. And don't think I don't know you've got a secondary entry station hidden somewhere."

Flynn waved his hand. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Alright, that's enough, you two," declared Leon at last. "Save it for later."

Cid shook his head. "You know, for a couple of geniuses, you two sure do argue like children."

"He started it," muttered Flynn under his breath.

Sora found the juvenile back-and-forth bickering between two individuals with such high IQ's quite amusing. Next to him, Donald and Goofy both had to stifle their laughter.

"Anyway," declared Flynn, bringing everyone's attention back to the computer screen. "Back to the reason I brought you here." He punched in a few more commands before a figure suddenly appeared on the screen. "Let me introduce you to my assistants."

"Greetings, users," spoke the figure on the screen.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy instantly recognized the figure. "Tron!" the trio declared in unison.

The program known as Tron smiled at them through the screen. "Sora, Donald, Goofy! It's good to see you all again!"

"Likewise," Sora replied.

"And I see you've brought friends," stated Tron, noticing the rather large crowd gathered before the computer terminal.

Sora nodded. "We sure did." He turned to face the others. "Everyone, this is Tron. And Tron . . . this is everyone!"

The friendly smile on Tron's face remained. "A pleasure to make your acquaintances."

"I like the new look," Sora remarked.

Sora was referring to the black skin suit in which Tron was currently attired in, and the lack of a combat helmet.

"Upgraded uniform, courtesy of Flynn here," responded Tron. "It's quite durable, but don't be fooled. It makes me look a lot slimmer than I really am."

"Hey, don't complain," said Alan with a chuckle. "You can't put on any weight even if you wanted to. I, on the other hand, need to lay off the late night pizza."

Sora turned to look at Alan for a moment, and then back to Tron. He found it so bizarre seeing the two of them conversing with each other. It was like watching a man speaking to his own reflection in the mirror.

"Oh, I'm not complaining," said Tron. "After all, I did inherit your dashing good looks."

"Just consider yourself lucky Alan designed you before he developed a craving for the greatest of Italian dishes," stated Flynn with a smile. "A belly isn't exactly becoming of the defender of the Grid."

Flynn's joke caused everyone to laugh.

"We heard your voice when we docked," Donald said. "But since you didn't reply we assumed it was just a recording."

"It was," answered Flynn. "I'm working on integrating Tron into the Gummi Station's inner-workings, with hopes of making him the station's artificial intelligence. But it's gonna take some time, so for now we're just using pre-recorded greetings and phrases for various sections of the station."

Tron smiled. "Don't worry. Soon I'll be able to properly greet you and any other visitors when they dock."

"So, you'll be in charge of this place soon?" asked Sora. "That's awesome!"

"If things go according to plan," Tron replied. "So, what brings you all here?"

"I just wanted to introduce everyone to this dream team we've put together," replied Flynn.

Tron nodded. "Ah, well, in that case, there's one more person that needs introducing." He turned around, and waved someone over from within the black screen behind him. "Come over here for a second."

As soon as the second figure emerged from the darkness, Sora was suddenly hit by a wave of Déjà vu.

"Everyone," declared Flynn proudly. "I'd like to introduce you to my program, Clu."

The newcomer patted Tron on the back and waved at them. "Howdy."

"Hiya," replied Sora, waving back. Everyone else imitated his greeting.

Clu was the spitting image of Kevin Flynn, down to his clothes. The one exception was his jacket, which unlike Flynn's, had a white strip of light running down its right side.

"Clu, huh?" asked Donald. "That's a funny name."

"It stands for Codified Likeness Utility," Flynn explained. "He's essentially a virtual extension of myself, acting on my behalf when I'm away. In other words, he's a digital me, instilled with my grand vision of a flourishing Grid, and designed with one sole purpose to fulfill. And that purpose is . . ?"

"To take this system to its maximum potential!" Clu declared, as if on cue. "To create the perfect system!"

Flynn smiled proudly. "That's exactly right, man. Building utopia . . . one step at a time."

Sora was a bit unnerved by the militaristic tone of Clu's reply. This vision of creating a perfect system was something that Flynn had imbued into Clu, which meant that the program had no say in the matter, and which further meant that his reply was nothing more than a generated response.

"Between keeping things running here on the station and being a father for Sam, I can't work on the Grid all the time," Flynn explained. "That's why I created Clu and brought over Tron."

"Flynn bears the burden of responsibility for everything in the grid," stated Clu. "So Tron and I step in and take some of that weight off his shoulders."

Tron nodded. "That way, he's not under so much pressure all the time."

"The three of us share the load, so to speak," said Flynn. "These guys are the best. I don't know what I'd do without them, especially now when recent developments in the Grid have me stretched so thin."

"We're only this good because our makers made us so," replied Tron with genuine modesty.

"Recent developments?" Leon asked. "Anything I should know about?"

Flynn chuckled. "That's actually an understatement. It's big, man. Really big. I'd even go so far as to call it a miracle, but I can't really say more just yet."

Out of the corner of his eye, Sora noticed Clu look off to the side when Flynn mentioned the miracle, as if something didn't sit right with him. For the briefest moment, Sora could have sworn he saw a shift in Clu's facial expression. Was that annoyance he had just glimpsed?

Alan folded his arms. "A miracle, Flynn? Why is this the first I'm hearing about this? You know I don't like being left out of the loop when it comes to matters of the Grid."

"Let me just stop you both before this erupts into another argument," interrupted Leon quickly, before turning to Sora and the others. "I think this concludes our tour of Gummi Station for now."

"Of course," acknowledged Flynn with a nod. "You guys have a Universe to save."

"Aren't you gonna tell them about the Mass Relays?" Alan asked.

"We'll give them the crash course when we get back," answered Leon. "We've gotta take care of a few things in town first."

Alan nodded. "Sounds good. We'll be here."

Leon turned to Cid. "Get that new Gummi part installed on their ship ASAP. It has to be up and running by the time we get back."

"I'll get Chip and Dale right on it," replied Cid with a salute.

"Alright then," declared Leon. He turned and made his way to the center of the CIC, stopping in the middle of a round, metallic platform. "Everyone gather 'round me."

Sora did as Leon said and stepped onto the platform, with the rest of the group following suit.

Leon checked to make sure everyone was completely on the platform before nodding to Flynn. "We're clear."

Flynn returned the nod. "Tron, will you do the honors?"

"Of course," Tron replied with a smile.

At that moment, the sound of machinery starting up could be heard above them.

Sora looked up at the ceiling and noticed there was another platform identical to the one they were now standing on built into it. "What's going on?"

Leon looked at him. "We're warping down to the surface."

As the noise coming from above grew louder, a curtain of blue light suddenly manifested around them, stretching from platform to platform.

"We'll see you guys again in a bit," Alan said. He had to raise his voice in order to be heard over the sound of the machinery.

"Enjoy the ride," declared Flynn. "The first time's always the best."

Donald waved the comment aside. "We've warped plenty of times before."

Flynn chuckled. "Not like this you haven't."

Before Donald could question Flynn further, Tron's voice boomed over the loudspeaker. "Charge sequence complete. Commencing warp in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."

The last thing Sora saw before being completely engulfed by blue light was the sight of Clu disappearing back into the recesses of the computer screen while Tron waved at them with a friendly smile.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'll get right to the point. There is no excuse for the extremely long hiatus. I've had a lot of things going on these past few months, such as school, work, family, and the occasional video game (Skyrim, Uncharted 3, and Assassin's Creed: Revelations being the three main culprits). Also, it doesn't help that my laptop broke down on me, preventing me from working at home. But these are just excuses. I should have made this story a priority. I could have worked from school or on my phone, but I didn't. I put other things before the story, and for that I apologize.

As far as this chapter is concerned, as you may or may not have already guessed, I introduced Flynn, Alan, and Clu because I am planning on having the world of "TRON: Legacy" appear at one point in the story. But there's more to it than that. Throughout the story, Sora and the gang will be visiting a bunch of worlds, "TRON: Legacy" being one of them. However, unlike other worlds, this one will be more than just a visit. Elements from the "TRON: Legacy" plot are actually going to play a pivotal role in the overall scheme of things. I can't say anything more except that everything that was just introduced in this chapter (Gummi Station, Flynn, Clu, etc.), as well as what will be discussed in the next one, will all play an extremely important role in the future. So yes, although there is a lot of dialogue, it's very crucial stuff that's being discussed, so pay close attention.

Before I go, I'd like to give a big thanks to my latest reviewers: **overreactiveteenagemindsxo**, **Dracula X**, **ClassicRockFanGirl**, **archsage328**, **WishingDreamer5**, **DarkSacredJewelXoX**, **BrokenRepublic**, **Kronos – KR15**, **deadly maelstrom**, **Berander**, **Witch of Tragedies**, and **psychicshipping**. Your feedback is both enlightening and appreciated, so thanks a bunch.

And lastly, I'd like to again apologize for the long wait. Luckily, however, finishing this chapter, combined with the fact that one of my favorite stories (also a KH fanfic) was just updated, has inspired me again. It's time to get back to business, folks. On that note, until next time.


	9. The Calm Before The Storm

**X**

**- 8 -**

**The Calm Before The Storm**

* * *

**Radiant Garden**

Flynn had been right about never having been teleported the way they had all been beamed down from Gummi Station. Even though it had only lasted a few seconds, the trip had been an exhilarating one. They had literally fallen through space at breakneck speed down to the surface of Radiant Garden. Seeing the world from orbit, without being inside a ship or station was truly breathtaking.

The group had materialized inside the computer room of Ansem's Castle, where Yuffie and the Gullwings had greeted them. Yuffie was as cheerful as ever, and she seemed to be getting along well with Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. Just like Flynn was in charge of fixing up Gummi Station, Yuffie had been tasked with the maintenance and restoration of the castle. The girls had spent the last few weeks restoring certain areas of the castle whose functions could then be used to improve the town.

After chatting with the girls for a bit, Leon led Sora and the others into town. He pointed out various improvements that had been made to the town's security system, and Sora noted that the residents had seemed to finally begin recognizing Radiant Garden as a real home. Sora briefly recalled the first time he had arrived on the world, back when it was still Hollow Bastion. The place had definitely come a long way since then.

The group paid a quick visit to the Marketplace where they caught up with Uncle Scrooge, and his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Uncle Scrooge offered them all free Sea-Salt ice cream, which everyone gladly accepted.

"Your munny's not welcome here," Uncle Scrooge had proclaimed. "You're all heroes. The least I can do is provide or heroes with free ice cream."

After finishing their ice cream, they all thanked Uncle Scrooge and made their way to the Borough, where Merlin's house was located. They were greeted by the wizard himself, along with Aerith and the three fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.

"My, Sora," stated Fauna, dismayed by Sora's garments. "You look the worse for wear."

"So everyone keeps telling me," replied Sora, looking down at his dirtied clothes. "Master Yen Sid said you have some new equipment for us. I was hoping you all could help me out again."

Flora smiled and nodded. "Of course we can, my dear. You were due for an upgrade anyway."

"Thanks," replied Sora, gratefully.

"Here, let me take care of that," declared Merryweather as she extracted her wand and squeezed her way past Flora and Fauna. "Hold still."

Fauna blocked her path with an outstretched arm. "Not so fast. Who put you in charge?"

"Please!" exclaimed Sora before the argument could get out of hand. "Don't fight. The three of you can just do it together like you did last time."

The fairies exchanged looks with each other before nodding in unison.

"All together now," declared Fauna to her sisters, who proceeded to raise their wands.

What followed was a flash of light engulfed the entire house, causing everyone to shield their eyes.

"There we are," proclaimed Merryweather proudly. "Much better."

Before Sora had even reopened his eyes, he already felt something was different. Looking down at himself, he was instantly impressed with the ladies' work. His outfit remained more or less the same, with the exception of a few cosmetic changes.

Sora walked over to the mirror to get a proper look at himself. His outfit had taken on a deeper shade of black, and everything that had been yellow, such as the straps around his shoulders, wrists, and waist, and a portion of his boots, were now a deep orange. Additionally, the colors on his pouches and their straps had been reversed, the latter now blue and the former red. Furthermore, the colors of the shirt and shorts he wore under his outfit, also blue and red, had been reversed as well. But the most notable difference was the addition of a silver and green pauldron on his right shoulder.

After thoroughly examining himself, Sora turned to face the others. "What do you think?"

"Nice threads," remarked Riku with a low whistle.

"Indeed," added Merlin. "A strapping young lad such as yourself has to look the part."

Donald, Goofy, and Leon all gave him a thumbs-up, while Aerith and Mickey nodded their approval.

"Devilishly handsome," stated Kairi with a smile.

Sora ran a hand through his hair and found it to be as clean and spiky as ever. "And the best part is . . . no more sand!" He turned to face the three sisters. "You ladies are the best! Thanks again."

"It's the least we could do," replied Merryweather.

The fairies proceeded to upgrade the rest of the party's outfits as well. Riku received a blue leather jacket while Kairi received a right shoulder guard similar to Sora's over her pink dress, as well as two silver light armored gauntlets. Donald found himself with a pair of gloves and a short cape, both matching his blue mage outfit. Goofy's yellow pants were now black and he obtained two shoulder guards, both significantly bulkier than the one's Sora and Kairi had received.

While they were all comparing each other's new outfits, Sora's attention was drawn to a familiar looking object sitting beside the large computer in the corner. "So, that's it, huh?"

Merlin turned to face what Sora was referring to. "Ah, so you've already heard. Yes, that's it."

Sora walked over and placed a hand on the device. "So, once this thing's up and running, we can travel back and forth between Master Yen Sid's study and here?"

"Assuming Cid and Flynn know what they're doing, that's the idea," Merlin replied.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Donald muttered. "But don't expect me to be the first test subject. Who's to say I won't come out the other side of that thing with my beak on the back of my head."

Sora recalled the doorway device he had seen back in Yen Sid's tower. That one had been blue, while the one he was looking at now was green. Save for the difference in color, the twins were exactly the same.

It wasn't until Sora had backed away from the device that he noticed a tall wooden wardrobe situated in the dark corner next to it. It was the first time he had seen that particular piece of furniture before, and he couldn't help but notice that it stood out from the rest of the house. He did not know why, but for some odd reason, Sora felt inexplicably drawn to the thing.

"Alright," announced Leon, jolting Sora from his reverie. "Now that you all look the part, it's time to get down to business."

Sora stared at the wardrobe for a few more seconds before backing away from it. "Yeah."

Mickey made his way to the back of the house so that he could face everyone else. "If you'll recall, Master Yen Sid believes that someone is facilitating the resurrection of Xehanort."

Leon took his place next to Mickey. "At the same time, a bunch of new sectors have opened up in the lanes between, and we suspect that it's most likely due to someone out there searching for something . . . or someone."

"You think they're looking for a way to bring Xehanort back to life?" asked Sora, recalling the earlier conversation with Master Yen Sid. "You think it could be the guy who attacked me back on the islands?"

"Hang on," declared a confused Leon. "What guy are we talking about?"

Sora explained the appearance of the mysterious figure that had attacked him shortly before their departure from the islands.

"So that explains why you were all covered in sand," deduced Leon.

Sora nodded. "I get attacked by some crazy hooded guy and then just awhile later we learn that somebody could be helping Xehanort come back. The two have gotta be connected somehow."

"We simply don't know," replied Merlin from the corner of the house behind them. "But it is a possibility, and that is enough to warrant an investigation into the matter."

"Riku, we're tasking you with this," said Mickey, turning to the taller of the two boys.

"Me?" asked a perplexed Riku.

Mickey nodded confidently. "Yes. I would go with you, but I have to remain here for the time being to begin Kairi's Keyblade training."

Sora was not too keen on hearing the news. "We're splitting up?"

"There's a lot of ground to cover," Mickey replied. "We need more than one ship out there."

Riku still had a valid objection. "How am I supposed to get around? I don't have a Gummi Ship. Hell, I don't even know how to pilot one."

"You won't be going alone," replied Leon quickly, anticipating Riku's response.

As if on cue, the front door of Merlin's house swung open and an out of breath young man fumbled in.

"Sorry, I'm late!" exclaimed the newcomer, shutting the door behind him. "Yuffie had me doing some heavy-lifting back at the castle."

Leon waved the matter aside. "It's fine. You're actually right on time. We were just about to bring you up."

"Oh. Well then . . . perfect."

The young man took a moment to catch his breath and compose himself, passing a hand through his dark-blue hair which, save for a lone bang dangling in front of his face, was spiked back. As he scanned the room, his sky-blue eyes landed on Kairi, and his face lit up. He quickly made his way toward her.

"Zack Fair," stated the young man, introducing himself more to Kairi than the others. He extended his hand to her, which she awkwardly accepted with her own, and which he proceeded to gently kiss. "And you are . . ?"

Kairi was taken aback by the young man's direct politeness. "I'm uh . . . Kairi. Nice to meet you."

"Kairi, huh? Lovely name." Zack took a step back as a thought seemed to cross his mind. "Reminds me of the ocean."

A slightly annoyed Sora took a step forward and introduced himself. "I'm Sora. These are my friends Donald, Goofy, and Riku."

Zack's smile remained as he turned to face them. "A pleasure. Leon's told me some great things about you all. It's nice to finally meet you."

Sora could tell Zack was being genuinely polite, and his brief irritation subsided. It was then that he noticed something interesting about the young man.

"Your sword . . . I've seen it before," remarked Sora, referring to the massive blade attached to Zack's back.

Zack's expression revealed he knew exactly what Sora was talking about. "It's a Buster Sword."

Sora nodded. "I knew someone who wielded one just like yours."

Zack's gaze lowered to the floor. "Cloud."

"You knew him?" asked a surprised Sora.

"He was a good friend of mine," Zack replied. "I was upset to hear about what happened to him. I heard you were one of the last to see him."

Sora's mind quickly went back to the Dark Depths, where he had witnessed Cloud engage his rival Sephiroth in combat. After a brief struggle, the two of them had vanished into darkness, and no one had seen heard from either of them since.

Sora nodded. "I was there. Goofy and Donald too."

"Speaking of which, where's Tifa?" inquired Donald, attempting to change the subject. "We haven't seen her."

"She's around somewhere," answered Aerith. "She's decided to stick around and assist the Restoration Committee. But she hasn't been the same since that day. Keeps to herself mostly."

Sora understood. "I'm sorry to hear that."

The momentary silence that followed was ended when Zack spoke up.

"Anyway, I hear I'll be traveling with one of you guys."

"That's what we were talking about when you got here," responded Leon. "You'll be partnering up with Riku here."

Zack made his way over to Riku and patted him on the back. "I guess you and I are traveling buddies."

Riku chuckled. "I guess so."

"Riku doesn't have any experience flying Gummi Ships," said Mickey. "So that makes you the designated driver, Zack."

Zack gave him a thumbs-up. "Not a problem. Lucky for us I'm an experienced pilot. I'll throw in some crash course lessons whenever we can spare the time."

"Sounds great," stated a satisfied Riku.

"Have you been part of the Restoration Committee long?" Sora asked. "How come we haven't met you before?"

"I work away from home," explained Zack. "I assist the committee by scouting out new worlds and looking for anything that can help us out."

"Zack's our eyes and ears," added Leon. "He keeps us apprised of everything going on off-world."

"So you travel alone?" observed Kairi. "That must get pretty lonely."

"It does at times," acknowledged Zack. "But I can contact the station from my ship anytime I want and share stories with these guys. It's not too bad."

"We'll be traveling in your ship then?" Riku asked.

"That's actually a really good question," stated Zack. "I was wondering the same thing myself."

"Zack's ship was badly damaged when he returned from his last voyage," clarified Leon. "Cid's been hard at work getting it repaired, but from the look of things it's gonna be awhile before she's one hundred percent again."

Zack was about to ask how he and Riku were supposed to get around without a ship, but Mickey preempted him.

"For now you can use my ship."

Zack was dumbfounded. "Your Majesty . . . the _Ark Royal_ . . . I couldn't . . ."

"It's just a ship Zack," assured Mickey with a smile. "And please, just Mickey."

"_Just a ship?" _repeated an incredulous Zack. "Your Majesty, you're too modest. The _Ark Royal _is a thing of beauty. She's . . . perfect."

"You're the best pilot I know Zack, and Riku is a good friend of mine. Plus, we have no other ships to lend you. I'd be honored to have the two of you undertake this journey in the _Ark Royal_."

Zack made his way over to Mickey, lowered himself to one knee, and embraced him.

"Your Majesty, you have my word that no harm will come to her. I will pilot that ship with the utmost care. Thank you for this."

Everyone in the room exchanged awkward glances with each other as Zack continued to hug Mickey.

Aerith leaned over to whisper in Riku's ear. "Zack's a bit of a . . . Gummi Ship nut. I know it seems odd, but I promise he doesn't have a screw loose or anything."

"Good to know," replied Riku with a slight grin. "I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

When Zack finally released Mickey, he strolled back over to Riku and patted him on the shoulder. "You and I are gonna be flying in luxury, pal."

Riku put his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "As long as she doesn't leave us stranded, I'll be sleep soundly."

"Now then, that just leaves you three," Leon announced, turning his attention to Sora. "Since you work best as a unit, you'll be traveling together again."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy exchanged looks of relief with each other, pleased that they were not being split up.

"I just can't get rid of you two," teased Sora, nudging them both on the side of their arms.

A grin spread across Donald's face. "The feeling's mutual."

"The trinity can't be separated," added a chortling Goofy.

"Listen to these clowns," remarked Leon, causing everyone in the room to burst into laughter.

"Alright, alright," declared Mickey. "Back to business."

The laughter subsided, and everyone quieted themselves.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy, you'll be on a slightly different assignment than Zack and Riku," explained Mickey. "We've received word of the appearance of strange creatures on a number of Disney worlds. From what we've gathered, you haven't visited any of these worlds yet, which means their Keyholes have yet to be sealed."

"Strange creatures?" Sora asked. "Heartless? Nobodies?"

Mickey shook his head. "No doubt there will be plenty of those two, but according to what we've heard, this is something else entirely."

"Creatures other than Heartless and Nobodies?" queried a puzzled Donald. "What could they be?"

"The information we have is inconclusive," elaborated Merlin. "Mostly vague reports from refugees that have been arriving in Traverse Town over the past few days. To be honest, some of the stories I've heard sound a bit farfetched. Hence, we need you to figure out what is fact and what is fiction."

"Strange creatures suddenly appearing, new sectors opening up," observed Sora. "There's definitely something strange going on out there."

"And it's up to us to figure out what," added Riku.

Mickey nodded. "Right. You all are our only hope against whatever may be lurking out there."

"You can count on us," assured Sora, clenching his fist before him. "We'll put a stop to all this once and for all."

Leon took a seat at the dining table. "I like the enthusiasm. But save your energy. You're gonna need it."

"You'll be spending the night here in Radiant Garden," Aerith said, joining Leon at the table. "There are rooms available in the castle. You'll rest here tonight, and depart first thing in the morning."

Merlin nodded. "In the meantime, you're all welcome to mull about here for a bit. Dinner will be served shortly."

"Great!" exclaimed Sora. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starving!"

* * *

_Sunlight poured through the windows of the castle study, where six individuals were currently locked in deep deliberation. The mood in the room was tense, for no one wished to speak on the matter at hand. Each person was waiting for another to say something, but if things continued as they presently were, they would all remain in silence for the duration of the gathering. They had beat around the bush for far too long, and now when it became necessary to take drastic steps, no one knew what to say. No one wanted to act. They hadn't wanted it to come to this._

_The Wanderer had been leaning against the wall in a shadowy corner of the study, his arms crossed before his chest. He had been listening intently as Ansem's apprentices debated their current predicament. Many months had passed since The Wanderer's arrival in Radiant Garden, and much had transpired during that time. He watched in silence as the silver-haired Xehanort paced furiously about the study._

_To his right was Even, the self-proclaimed genius savant. He sat on a wooden chair near an open window, a book in his hand. He was staring out at the sprawling town below as a light breeze passed through his platinum blonde hair. Ienzo stood next to him looking down at the ground, clearly disturbed by the current discussion. Braig was up on the second level of the study, his elbows leaning on the railing, and his hands clasped tightly together while his thumbs played with the red bandana that hung from his neck. Aeleus and Dilan stood on either side of the double-door entrance to the study, like a pair of stalwart sentinels, neither one showing any sign of emotion._

_"So, that's it?" asked Even, without looking up. "He's spoken?"_

_"There is no reasoning with him, Even!" exclaimed Xehanort. "He has been against us from the start! And now that he has discovered the laboratory and forbidden us from continuing our work . . . ." He scoffed. "Forget about it. Everything we have uncovered up until now might as well have been for naught."_

_"How'd he find out what we were doing?" asked Braig. "You think that visitor he met with might have known something? What was his name? Mickey?"_

_Xehanort exchanged an uneasy glance with the Wanderer. "I . . . I don't know."_

_Xehanort did indeed suspect that this Mickey person Ansem had met with was more than just a simple visitor, but he did not want to distract the others from the issue at hand. _

_Even shook his head in disappointment "It's over then?"_

_"No," replied Xehanort firmly. "We cannot allow our work to fade into obscurity. We must act before it is too late."_

_"Act against Ansem the Wise?" exclaimed Aeleus instantly. "Surely you can't be serious, Xehanort? He is our lord and master! Without him none of this would even be possible!"_

_"Agreed. You reach too far, Xehanort," added Dilan, his deep voice reverberating throughout the study._

_"Do you think I don't know that, Aeleus?" spat Xehanort vehemently. "Do you think I enjoy entertaining these thoughts of rebellion, Dilan? Look at us! Huddled together in secrecy, plotting against our master behind his back like a band of conniving scoundrels! In his own castle no less! The sanctuary he has provided for us! The place we call home! It's disgusting!"_

_The Wanderer knew Xehanort's mind must be racing with thoughts. His words were being fueled by raw emotion and he was speaking from the heart, appealing to the others' emotions. The young man possessed the gift of the silver tongue – the mark of a true leader. He was curious as to how Xehanort would win over the others._

_Xehanort cleared his throat before speaking again, this time in a much lighter tone. "Believe me, I do not come to this conclusion lightly, and neither should any of you. But what choice has he left us? What alternative do we have? Aeleus? Dilan?"_

_As much as he wanted to say something, Aeleus could not think of a valid response. Instead he turned his gaze toward a bookshelf across the room, and Xehanort noticed a look of shame etched on his face for the briefest of instances. Dilan held Xehanort's gaze, but he too could not come up with answer._

_Xehanort looked around the room once more. "That goes for the rest of you as well. If you have better alternatives, please present them for discussion. We should not pursue this course of action until we have exhausted all possible avenues."_

_Silence._

_Xehanort heaved a sigh of exasperation and passed a hand through his hair. "What about you? Have you nothing to say about all this?"_

_Everyone turned to face the Wanderer, whom Xehanort had directed the question toward._

_The Wanderer removed himself from the wall, taking a step forward into the sunlight. "I believe your master is afraid."_

_Xehanort narrowed his eyes. "Afraid?"_

_The Wanderer nodded as he made his way out onto the balcony. "Afraid of what our research may uncover. And with good reason. We should all be afraid. What we are doing here – this research and where it leads – it is not for the faint-hearted. Ansem's reluctance is perfectly understandable. Only a fool would fail to see the dangers of such work . . . and the consequences should anything go wrong."_

_"So you defend him then?" asked Xehanort, visibly upset._

_"Of course not," answered the Wanderer. "This research must continue, that much is certain. I am merely showing you the other side of the argument. Do not think that your master is halting your research just to spite you. He has good reasons for doing so; valid reasons. Do not be so quick to make him out as the enemy. Remember that the only reason this research even exists is because of him."_

_"I am not a fool," declared Xehanort. "No one here is denying his brilliance. Ansem the Wise is a father to us all, and like you and Aeleus mentioned, if it wasn't for him, none of this would even be possible."_

_All eyes were on Xehanort._

_"However, the work we our undertaking here is bigger than any one individual. What we have set out to accomplish is far too important to simply abandon. Make no mistake, our research into the heart will shape the very fabric of human existence, and we cannot allow the fear and feeble-minded idealism of an old fool to stand in our way. Not now, not when we are so close."_

_"No!" cried a voice from the corner of the room._

_"Ienzo?" asked Even, surprised by the young boy's outburst._

_Ienzo was equally perplexed by his own exclamation. He took a moment to compose himself before speaking. "I mean, I know how important our work is, but don't you think we're taking this too far? We could show Master Ansem the results of our research. If we were to let him see for himself what we have uncovered . . . you know, with his own eyes, then he would most certainly understand the significance of our work. We just need to give him some time to mull it over."_

_Glances were exchanged amongst the others; no one was sure of how to respond._

_Xehanort strode over to Ienzo, knelt down, and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Ienzo, I understand your reluctance. Believe me, I take no pleasure in plotting against Master Ansem. None of us do. But do you really believe he would approve of our methods? What we have done to get as far as we have . . . for all his brilliance, he would not understand."_

_"He has made his decision on the matter clear, Ienzo," stated Even. "He will only deter us."_

_"For him, the ends don't justify the means, kid," added Braig. "He's not willing to do what's necessary. We are."_

_"If we do not act now, he will undo everything we have accomplished," Xehanort reiterated. "You understand that, don't you, Ienzo?"_

_The boy wiped the streaks of tears from his cheeks before nodding. "Yes."_

_"Alright. If there are no further objections, I will assume we have reached a unanimous decision." Xehanort took the time to scan each of his fellow apprentices' eyes before continuing. "Very well then, gentlemen. We are agreed. We will reconvene at midnight tonight. Godspeed."_

_The moment Xehanort adjourned the meeting, both Aeleus and Dilan stormed out of the study. Even let out a low sigh as he rose from his chair, before taking Ienzo's hand and escorting the boy out of the room._

_Xehanort waited for them to exit before waving the Wanderer over. "Walk with me."_

_The Wanderer nodded._

_The two made their way out of the study and into the corridor. Up ahead, Aeleus and Dilan had just entered the elevator, Aeleus having angrily hit the call button with his fist._

_"Do you think they'll be a problem?" asked the Wanderer. "Aeleus and Dilan I mean."_

_Xehanort shook his head. "They're upset; perfectly understandable given the circumstances. But they're both fully committed. You don't have to worry about them."_

_"You handled yourself well in there," remarked the Wanderer. "You've only been here for a short time, yet you've managed to win them all over. They see you as their leader."_

_"I suppose that's one thing I'm doing right," said Xehanort. "But tonight will prove how good a leader I truly am."_

_"Indeed it will," the Wanderer replied._

_Xehanort sighed and rubbed the right side of his face. "I can't believe it's come to this."_

_The Wanderer slowed his pace to match that of Xehanort's. "Knowing how Ansem the Wise is, was his reaction really so surprising?"_

_"No, I suppose it wasn't," answered Xehanort. "Still, I thought that just maybe he could see things the way we see them. I was a fool."_

_"You can't change what's happened," the Wanderer said. "All you can do is adjust, and that's exactly what you're doing. You made a decision. You're taking the next step. That's it, it's done. Try not to dwell on it too much."_

_Xehanort nodded silently, contemplating the Wanderer's words._

_"Now, you wanted to discuss something?" inquired the Wanderer._

_"Yes," replied Xehanort with a nod. "What do you think of this visitor Ansem met with? This Mickey?"_

_"You're the one who met him. What was your impression?"_

_Xehanort sighed as he thought back to the moment he had walked in on Ansem and Mickey's meeting. "It was very brief. But Ansem seemed extremely interested in him. In fact, now that I think about it, Ansem hasn't been that excited about anything since . . . well since you showed up here."_

_The Wanderer remained silent._

_"I think this Mickey was a visitor from another world," Xehanort declared. "And I believe he may have been knowledgeable to some degree in the work we have been conducting here. Perhaps he shared some insight with Ansem."_

_"And you believe this new information frightened Ansem enough for him to abandon our research completely?" The Wanderer pondered the idea for a moment. "A logical conclusion, but at this point does it really matter?"_

_"Actually, I know exactly why he has ordered us to stop," Xehanort revealed._

_The Wanderer was perplexed. "What?"_

_Xehanort reached into his coat and extracted a folded piece of paper. "Here."_

_The Wanderer accepted the document and unfolded it._

Ansem's Report 2

It is my duty to expose what this darkness really is. I shall conduct the following experiments:

Extract the darkness from a person's heart.

Cultivate darkness in a pure heart.

Both suppress and amplify the darkness within.

The experiments caused the test subject's heart to collapse, including those of the most stalwart. How fragile our hearts are! My treatment produced no signs of recovery. I confined those who had completely lost their hearts beneath the castle.

Sometime later, I went below and was greeted by the strangest sight. Creatures that seemed born of darkness...What are they? Are they truly sentient beings? Could they be the shadows of those who lost their hearts in my experiments?

_"You wrote this?" asked the Wanderer, as he looked up from the document._

_"And a few more," admitted Xehanort with a nod. "I took your advice."_

_"I can see that," noted the Wanderer. "So what exactly happened?"_

_"He found them," Xehanort revealed. "He must've stumbled upon them in my office or something. I've spoken a great deal about our work in these entries; he only needed to read a few to understand what we were up to. Once he did, he summoned me up to his office and confronted me about them."_

_"Why did you not mention this to the others?"_

_"What difference does it make? He is standing between us and our work. Why he is doing so is irrelevant. He would have to be dealt with regardless."_

_The Wanderer scanned the document once more. "I notice you've titled it 'Ansem's Report.' You've taken his name?"_

_Xehanort nodded. "If I did indeed have a life before this, then that person, not I, is the real Xehanort. I am just a shell of him. Therefore, that name does not apply to me. After tonight, Ansem the Wise will be gone, and in his place I shall rule Radiant Garden. I find it only fitting that I should take his name as well."_

_"I see," responded the Wanderer, handing Xehanort back the paper._

_"You were right," Xehanort said. "It did feel good getting these thoughts out."_

_"I speak from experience, my friend."_

_"Yes, it is clear that you possess a great deal of wisdom. I've been wondering, where is it you come from exactly?"_

_The Wanderer spoke as if he had not heard the question. "Any progress with your dreams?"_

_Xehanort took the subject change in stride. "They've become more frequent lately. And quite vivid."_

_"Oh?"_

_"However, I do not believe them to be dreams," Xehanort elaborated. "They seem more like . . . flashes of random images."_

_"What sort of images?"_

_"Myself, I think, but younger. Sometimes I see a beach, other times a castle. There's also a girl with blue hair, and a young boy too. I can't really make out their faces, but they seem to be smiling, like we're friends. What else?" Xehanort paused for a moment as he attempted to recall the images. "Oh, and there's almost always this . . . key. Except it's not really a key. It's more like . . . a sword shaped like a key."_

_That last sentence caught the Wanderer's attention. "A key-shaped sword?"_

_Xehanort nodded. "Yes. It's the strangest thing."_

_Before the Wanderer could respond, a low chuckle from behind them caught his attention._

_Turning, he had just enough time to catch a glimpse of Braig disappearing around the corner, a grin of self-amusement plastered across his face._

_"What's he smiling about?" thought the Wanderer to himself. _

_Xehanort hadn't seemed to notice Braig's behavior. "Something the matter?" he asked, breaking the Wanderer's concentration._

_"No," replied the Wanderer. "You were saying?"_

_"Key-shaped sword," continued Xehanort. "I was wondering if perhaps you've ever encountered anything like that. During your travels I mean."_

_The Wanderer thought back to that day in the barren wasteland, where he had watched first-hand as thousands of warriors had fought and fell against each other. He recalled each combatant wielding what looked like a giant key; he also recalled how he had dismissed the weapon as being unremarkable, and thus had not bothered to investigate._

_Silently cursing his own carelessness, the Wanderer stopped and closed his eyes. "How long ago had that been?" he thought to himself. "Centuries to be sure. And unless Xehanort was over three hundred years old, there was no way he could have been alive during that battle. So what could something from so long ago possibly have anything to do with Xehanort's past?"_

_"Well?" Xehanort asked._

_The Wanderer opened his eyes. Xehanort was staring at him, trying his best to mask his eagerness and curiosity behind a look of indifference._

_"Yes, I believe I have," the Wanderer said at last._

_Xehanort's face lit up. "You have?"_

_The tone of Xehanort's voice suggested that although he had hoped the Wanderer could provide some sort of insight on the matter, he hadn't actually expected him to know anything._

_The Wanderer nodded. "It was a long time ago, and only for a brief moment. But I believe that this 'key' you described is what I saw."_

_"If that's true, then that means my theory is correct," stated Xehanort. "These are not simply dreams I am experiencing. They must be visions . . . visions of my past."_

_"That would be the most likely conclusion, yes," concurred the Wanderer. "It seems that some of your memories may be resurfacing, and if that's the case, then perhaps more will come to you with time."_

_Xehanort contemplated something for a moment before continuing down the corridor. The Wanderer fell into step beside him._

_"Why these visions in particular, I wonder?" Xehanort asked, more to himself than the Wanderer._

_A thought crossed the Wanderer's mind. "Are these the first visions you've received that have been vivid enough for you to recall?"_

_"They are," replied Xehanort._

_"Perhaps the reason these specific visions have come to you so clearly is because they were, in some way, of great importance to you," surmised the Wanderer. "The castle, the blue-haired girl, the young boy." He paused momentarily. "The key . . ."_

_"Could that be it?" Xehanort asked. "They all seem so unrelated. Could they really be connected?"_

_"It's just an educated guess," stated the Wanderer. "There's no way to no for sure, but it does seem likely to me."_

_Xehanort seemed to lose himself in his thoughts for a moment._

_"I will look into the matter of this key-sword," declared the Wanderer as they reached the elevator._

_Xehanort was perplexed by the Wanderer's comment. "You . . . what?"_

_"I will go to the place where I saw this key and see if I can find some answers."_

_"You're willing to do that for me?" Xehanort asked. "What about our work here?"_

_"It isn't just for you," the Wanderer replied. "I believe this key may be of more significance than to just your past."_

_Xehanort pressed the call button for the elevator. "You think it could be related to our work?"_

_"We won't know for sure until I investigate. Everything with time, Xehanort."_

_At that moment the elevator doors slid open, and the two stepped inside. Xehanort pressed a button on the wall panel, and seconds later the elevator began its ascent._

_The Wanderer locked eyes with Xehanort for a moment. "What do you make of these creatures we have discovered?"_

_Xehanort took the subject change in stride. "They are fascinating. I feel this is the breakthrough we've been waiting for. I am certain they are directly related to the heart, but how or why can only be determined through observation."_

_"I agree," said the Wanderer. "And they could not have appeared at a better time. The others were beginning to get frustrated with the lack of progress we had been making. If this breakthrough hadn't happened when it did, I don't think they could have been persuaded to follow through with what's happening tonight."_

_"Neither do I," admitted Xehanort. "I suppose we can attribute that to luck."_

_"We make our own luck, Xehanort. Remember that."_

_Xehanort nodded. "I will."_

_The Wanderer returned the nod. "Good. I believe this is your stop."_

_The elevator slowed to a halt and the doors slid open once more. Xehanort stepped out into the corridor ahead and turned to face the Wanderer._

_"Tonight will mark the beginning of a new era for Radiant Garden," declared Xehanort. "No, for all of mankind."_

_"Indeed it will," replied the Wanderer as the elevator doors slid closed. "Indeed it will."_

* * *

Kairi's elbows rested on the marble balcony as she regarded the sunset before her. The bedroom she was occupying for the evening was situated near the top of the second largest tower of Ansem's castle, and she had chosen it specifically for its unobstructed view of the mountain range in the distance.

Kairi brushed aside her hair and turned to Sora, who was seated next to her on the balcony, feet flailing leisurely in the wind. "What a view, huh?"

"Nothing really compares to the sunsets back on the islands," remarked Sora. "The mountains are nice, but there's just something about sunsets on the beach that can't be outdone."

Kairi smiled. "I can't argue with you there."

Sora looked down at his new clothes once more. "I can't believe we're all gonna be splitting up again tomorrow. I'd kinda gotten used to the island life again."

"It'll be the last time," Kairi said. "We finish this and everything goes back to normal. We can go home and live happily ever after."

Sora chuckled. "You're right."

"Plus, without training, I won't be of much use to anyone. Gotta start somewhere."

"At least you'll have something to look at every night," remarked Sora, motioning toward the sunset. "We don't have that luxury when we're out in space."

Kairi smiled. "That's true."

Sora lowered himself from the balcony and made his way over to Kairi, his hand resting on his belly. "Jeez, I think I ate too much."

Kairi let out a laugh. "You were shoveling food into your mouth like it was gonna go bad."

"And it didn't help that Merlin's cooking was just amazing," added Sora. "That was the first real meal I'd had in ages, and there's no telling when I'll get one again. I had to take advantage of the situation."

"That'll be one upside to my training at least," said Kairi. "Great food."

"Don't rub it in," Sora replied with a low groan. "So, are you nervous? About your training I mean."

"Anxious is more like it," admitted Kairi. "The wait is killing me."

Sora summoned his Keyblade and swung it in the air. "How cool is it gonna be when we finally get to team up against the bad guys?"

Kairi summoned her weapon as well and held it up. "The two of us out there standing back to back, surrounded by an army of monsters, ready to take on anything."

Sora nodded. "I can picture it now. They're gonna be telling stories about us in a few years. Kairi and Sora – Heartless slayers!"

The two of them shared a laugh and dismissed their weapons.

Kairi closed her eyes, momentarily lost in her thoughts, before opening them again. "You know it's funny, but this place seems so familiar to me."

Sora turned to her. "Déjà vu?"

Kairi shook her head. "No. It's more than just déjà vu. I've been here before. I'm sure of it."

"How?" asked Sora, puzzled. "When?"

Kairi glanced down at the town hundreds of feet below them. "Sora, I think this place is my home."

"Home?" Sora was utterly bewildered. "You mean from before you showed up on the islands?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah. The moment we set foot here, this . . . like wave of nostalgia just washed over me. I've been trying to make sense of it all day, and I think I just nailed it."

Sora was completely dumbfounded by Kairi's revelation. "Well whad'ya know? That's pretty crazy!"

"Yeah," replied Kari. "Maybe while I'm here I can ask around and see if anyone knows anything."

"You've got more than enough now to keep you busy," Sora said. "So don't be a lazy bum like me and get caught napping on the clock by Mickey."

Kairi giggled at the joke before taking Sora's hand in hers. "Listen, I know we're all excited about tackling this new threat together, but I don't want that to make any of us careless."

Sora locked eyes with Kairi as she continued to speak.

"Please, stay safe out there. After everything we've been through, for something to happen to you now . . ."

Sora wrapped his arms around Kairi and gently brought her head to his chest. "I'll be careful, trust me. This has been one really, REALLY long journey. But the finish line's in sight and there's no way I'm gonna do anything to mess things up now. We're gonna make it out of this okay, I promise."

Kairi placed a tender kiss on Sora's lips and smiled. "I'll hold you to that."


	10. Separate Ways

**X**

**- 9 -**

**Separate Ways**

* * *

**Gummi Station**

Sora had gotten to bed relatively early the previous night, but the anticipation of the impending journey kept him up for some time. Even so, after tossing and turning for a bit, he eventually dozed off and slept reasonably well. A knock on his bedroom door the following morning stirred him from his slumber.

"Today's the big day, Sora! Breakfast's in the dining hall in ten minutes, so get your butt up!" From the sound of Yuffie's jovial tone, Sora wondered how anyone could be so full of energy so early in the morning.

After crawling out of bed, Sora showered and changed into his new outfit before making his way to the dining hall. Riku and Kairi were already there, and they both proceeded to remark on his usual tardiness. Donald and Goofy showed up a few minutes later, followed soon after by Zack, Mickey, Leon, Merlin, Cid, and Aerith. Yuffie and the Gullwings were the last to arrive, bringing with them the final few plates of food. Once they had all taken their seats, everyone dug in. The food was delicious, and everyone made sure to thank Yuffie and the Gullwings for their work. They all conversed and laughed with one another while enjoying what Sora believed was one of the heartiest meals in recent memory.

Afterward, they made their way up to the computer room where Sora and Riku said their goodbyes to Merlin, Yuffie, Aerith, and the Gullwings. Once everyone had said their farewells, Leon contacted Alan up in the Gummi Station, who then proceeded to beam the rest of them up. The group materialized in the center of the CIC, where Alan and Flynn greeted them.

"Good morning, everyone!" Alan took a sip from a dark-blue mug of freshly brewed coffee before adjusting his glasses. Behind him sat Flynn, resting upon the surface of the table he had used to show them the Grid layout the previous day. Unlike Alan, who was wide awake and attired in slacks, dress shirt, and tie, Flynn looked like he hadn't slept in days and was still in his pajamas.

"First and foremost, I'd like to apologize for my colleague's . . . untidy visage here this morning." Alan turned to Flynn. "He has a nasty habit of working well into the night and loses track of time, and by extension, sleep as well.

Flynn yawned and raised his own mug of coffee into the air. "As long as I get my usual fill of miracle liquid every morning, I can get through the day just fine." His pajamas consisted of a blue and white striped shirt with matching trousers and slippers, as well as a black night robe. "Now that you've put me out there, Alan, why don't you get this thing started?"

Alan chuckled and turned to face the small crowd that had gathered in the CIC. "I see we've got a full house here today," he said with a laugh. "Leon, I'll defer to you."

Leon made his way past everyone and took his place next to Flynn. "You guys are about to set out on possibly the most important and dangerous journey of your lives. But before you do, we've got to go over a few things." He turned around. "Flynn, if you would."

"Hmm? Oh, right." Flynn hopped off the table and walked over to the main computer. He punched a few commands into the console and seconds later an image appeared on the large screen. "There we are."

"You already know about the new sectors opening up in the lanes between," began Leon. "You'll be exploring these new sectors during your journey, however, the distance between here and there is just too great. Flying there the traditional way would take years, and time's not a luxury we can afford right now."

"It's _that_ far?" Sora was shocked by the revelation. He could not even fathom a distance such as the one Leon was describing. "What about the Warp Drive?"

Behind him, Cid was already shaking his head. "Warp Drive can't make the jump. When I designed the thing, I made sure to account for what I believed were exaggeratedly long distances, just in case your travels ever took you somewhere ridiculously far." Cid scratched his nose and folded his arms. "And up until now that safeguard turned out to be a smart move. You guys have been pretty far out there. That wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't taken that precaution."

"But even that forethought wasn't enough to account for this jump here," Leon declared. "We ran a few simulations, and the bottom line is that it's just too damn far. The Warp Drive doesn't have enough juice. It'll die out before you're even halfway there."

Sora exchanged glances with Donald and Goofy. "So then ho-"

Leon held up his hand and grinned. "Relax. Life has a way of working these kinds of things out. When one door closes, another one opens. We're gonna be doing things a little differently this time around." He pointed toward the image on the screen behind him. "And this is how."

Sora took in the image before him. He was looking at an object comprised of two long, curved metal "arms" with a pair of revolving rings in between them. Situated within the rings was a giant ball of blue-glowing energy. Sora was dumbstruck. "What is it?"

"We call them the mass relays," Flynn revealed.

"Mass relays?" Sora repeated.

"What do they do?" inquired Donald, his eyes studying the image on the screen.

"They function by creating a virtually mass-free 'corridor' of space-time," explained Alan. "This can propel a ship across vast distances that would otherwise take centuries to traverse, even at faster-than-light speeds."

"To put it simply," declared Flynn, in response to the looks of confusion that remained on the faces of Sora and the others after Alan's explanation, "think of a railgun. What does it do?"

"It fires bullets at high speeds using electricity," answered Riku following a momentary silence. When everyone in the room turned to him, he shrugged. "Video games."

Flynn chuckled. "Right on, man. That's exactly right. Now just apply that same concept to the mass relays. You fly your ship into one of these babies, and it literally 'shoots' you across space."

"Whoa." The method was utterly fascinating to Sora. "So we're just gonna fire ourselves over to the new sectors?" He was already painting a mental picture of how the process worked in his mind.

"Yes and no," answered Alan. "You see, there are two kinds of mass relays, primary and secondary. Primary relays can propel a ship thousands of light years but they're linked to only one other relay – its 'partner' so to speak. Secondary relays, on the other hand, can link to any other relay, but only over shorter distances. When someone activates a relay, that relay communicates with another one out in space. If you're activating a primary relay, it communicates with its partner. If you're activating a secondary relay, you designate which relay you wish to travel to. Either way, the two open a passageway of sorts between each other, and when you pass through one relay, you travel through that passageway and emerge on the other side at the other relay's location. Make sense?"

"I think so," replied Sora, not entirely certain if it did. "Are there any relays close to these new sectors?"

Alan nodded. "The Delta-7 Relay. It's a primary, and its partner isn't too far from here."

"Riku, Zack, you'll travel to the Delta-7 Relay and use it to get to those new sectors," Leon instructed. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, the worlds you'll be investigating aren't nearly as far, so any one of the nearby secondary relays should be able to get you to those worlds without a problem. Last night each of your ships were outfitted with a Mass Effect drive. They're up and running now, so you're good to go."

"Just think of it as an upgrade to the Warp Drive," remarked Cid with a thumbs-up. "Chip, Dale, and I were up all night working on those, so you're welcome."

"Thanks, Cid," Sora declared. "By the way, where are Chip and Dale?"

"I'm sure they're napping in the maintenance wing," replied Cid. He took the toothpick out of his mouth, flipped it, then returned it to his mouth. "You'll see them before you leave. Don't worry."

"I've got a question," Goofy said. "When did you guys find out about these mass relays?"

"Not too long ago actually," responded Alan, pointing. "Zack here was the one who discovered them, along with Gummi Station."

Zack casually waved a hand. "I was on a scouting assignment looking for new sectors," he revealed. "I found the Gummi Station just floating there in the middle of space. It was pretty banged up, but the docking bays were still intact. So I docked, boarded, and took a look around. Eventually I made it here to the CIC and got the main computer up and running. After browsing through some files I came across a map."

As Zack spoke, Flynn began typing on the computer. After a moment the image of the mass relay vanished, and a new image appeared.

Sora studied the new image for a moment, before realizing he knew what it was. He had seen a variant of the image dozens of times from the cockpit of the _Highwind_. It was a star map of Gummi space. However, this map was slightly unlike the one he was familiar with; something was different. It took him all of five seconds to spot the difference, and when he did he understood everything. "Whoa."

Zack nodded. "It's a star map pinpointing the location of mass relays all over the Universe."

Sora took a step forward to get a better look. "How many are there?"

"When Zack first discovered Gummi Station, the map displayed the location of nineteen mass relays," answered Alan. "Since then he's located five more."

Riku made his way next to Sora. "So there could still be even more of them out there?"

"We believe so," stated Leon. "The five relays Zack found were all located in the southwest quadrant there. That's just one small portion of known space. There's no telling how many more of them could still be out there."

"Any clue where these relays and the Gummi Station came from?" asked Sora. "Or who made them?"

"Judging from the way some of the metalwork aboard the station has rusted, we estimate that it's at least a few centuries old," stated Alan. "And since the station contained a map of all the active relays, it would only make sense that they would be just as old, if not older. But as far as who or what created them . . . we simply have no idea."

Sora's thoughts raced as he tried to imagine where the technological marvel he was standing inside of had originated from.

"Any idea why there was a map of the relays here on the station?" asked Riku suddenly.

"We believe the station was used as some sort of command center or base of operations," responded Flynn. "When we brought the station back online, we discovered that all nineteen active mass relays were directly linked up with the Gummi Station's central computer network. And when Zack found the other five, we linked those to the station as well. So, whoever's here in the CIC – in this case that would be us – has direct control and access to each relay. That's a dangerous amount of power and responsibility to have all in one location, so when I linked the Grid up with the Gummi Station's network, I made sure to place the mass relay control system in a safe place. Tron and Clu are in there keeping an eye on things, so if worse comes to worse we can shut down any or all of the relays in the event of an emergency."

"Emergency?" Sora repeated. "What kind of emergency?"

Flynn brought back the first image he had shown them of the mass relay. "You see that ball of blue energy inside the rotating circles? We call it Element Zero. We're not entirely sure how it works, but we do know two things about it. The first is that each relay is powered by the Element Zero within the spinning circles. It's the only energy source in existence capable of doing what the mass relays do. Which brings us to the second thing we know about Element Zero, and that is the fact that if it were to ever overload or break free from suspension, the result would be nothing short of a cataclysmic explosion equivalent to a supernova. Everything in that star system would be completely wiped out."

An uncomfortable silence followed. Sora could not even imagine such destruction. The thought of it filled him with dread. From the looks on everyone else's faces, he knew they were all thinking the same thing.

Flynn smiled after a moment and laughed aloud. "Relax, everyone. The only thing that could cause the Element Zero inside a relay to break free from suspension is if that relay were destroyed. Lucky for us, the relays are made out of the strongest alloy we've ever seen. They're damn near indestructible. And like I mentioned earlier, the station is synched up with each relay. If a relay's core somehow begins to overload, we can flip the switch from here and shut that relay down before it happens. So you can sleep soundly at night knowing we've got everything under control."

"That's good to know," declared Kairi, which caused everyone in the room to laugh.

"Any other questions?" Leon asked.

"Yeah," answered Donald. "What do we do if we discover any new relays?"

Flynn took a sip from his mug. "I've synched your ships' navigational computers up with the Gummi Station's central network. If by any chance you do encounter a new relay, all you have to do is link it with your ship's computer and that relay will automatically become synchronized and added to the Gummi Station's network. Got it?"

"Got it," replied Sora, Donald, and Riku in unison.

"You guys are gonna be our eyes and ears out there," said Leon. "After the Heartless invade a world, some refugees get lucky and find their way to Traverse Town. But what about the ones who aren't so lucky? Who knows how many of them are out there right now, lost in the vastness of space? Every mass relay you discover is another bridge built, another path opened, another beacon of light for those lost in the darkness. I know the worlds aren't supposed to be connected to one another; it's not the natural state of things. But the fact of the matter is that they are connected now. We can worry about fixing that later, but right now we need to focus on ridding the Universe of evil and saving as many people as we can in the meantime."

Alan took a step forward. "We don't know who or what made the mass relays. But what we do know is that they're a blessing we can't afford to squander. This technology will allow us to assume the role of pioneers and pave the way for generations to come."

Sora found the men's words inspiring. For too long the darkness had spread its influence across the worlds, leaving agony and despair in its wake. Sora had witnessed first-hand the harm it could cause if left unchecked. He and his friends were amongst the few left that could ensure the safety of the Universe. As the magnitude of such a responsibility dawned on Sora, he found himself a bit unsettled. Yet despite that, he had no intention of shying away from his duty. _We've got a job to do. Plain and simple._

"You can count on us," declared Riku assuredly.

"We won't let you down," added Zack with a nod.

Donald hopped up with excitement. "You can say that again!"

Goofy patted him on the shoulder. "The bad guys won't know what hit 'em."

"I have faith in every one of us," Kairi said. "We're gonna make it through this."

Sora looked at her and nodded. "We have to."

Leon could've been a proud father then with the smile he gave them all. "Alright then. Let's get to work."

A few minutes later, the group had descended the elevator to the docking bay level. When the elevator doors slid open, the party was met by Chip and Dale.

"Hiya, everyone!" greeted the red-nosed Dale with a wave.

"Hey, guys," Sora replied. He bent down to shake both of their their tiny hands.

"Sorry we missed the briefing," Chip apologized. "We slept a little longer than we planned to."

Cid scoffed. "I stayed up just as late as you two and I got up this morning no problem."

Chip turned to Cid and placed his hands on his hips. "You should've woken us up then."

"I'm not your mother," responded Cid. "Get yourselves an alarm clock."

Chip ignored him and turned back to Sora. "Your ships are ready to go. Right this way."

Sora and the others proceeded to follow the diminutive duo through the wide corridors of the station. After a few minutes, Sora recognized the path they were taking as the same one Leon and Cid had led them through the day before, albeit in reverse. Before long they had reached a junction in the hallway, just outside Docking Bay 2. Chip and Dale halted at the junction and turned to face them.

"Alright," announced Chip. "_Highwind _crew, you'll be coming with me to the right. _Ark Royal _crew, follow Dale to the left."

A brief moment of inactivity followed, as the sudden realization of what was happening seemed to hit them all at once. The silence lasted for a few more seconds before someone finally spoke.

"The three of you remind me of a group of friends I once met." Everyone turned to face the speaker. It was Mickey. He exchanged glances between Sora, Riku, and Kairi before continuing. "I look at the three of you now and I see a bit of them in each of you."

Sora understood that Mickey was speaking of the individuals he had mentioned in the letter he had written – the ones who were hurting.

"Their actions altered the course of fate," continued Mickey. "I have no doubt that you all will do the same. Three heroes, three paths, one destination. Yes, you're going your separate ways now, but that doesn't mean you'll be alone. Each of you carries the others with you in your hearts, and as long as that stays true, no amount of distance can ever separate you. And you'll still have friends with you for support."

Donald and Goofy turned to Sora and gave him a thumbs-up. Sora grinned and returned the gesture. Zack threw an arm around Riku while Riku patted him on the back, and Kairi knelt down beside Mickey and hugged him.

A moment ago Sora had been filled with grim apprehension at the thought of departing without Riku and Kairi. However, with just a few thoughtful words, Mickey had replaced Sora's discomfort with hope. "Thank you, Your Majesty," he said with a bow.

Mickey humbly accepted the compliment. "Thank _you_."

Riku made his way to Mickey and knelt down. "The darkness had me in its grasp. I was hopeless and alone, and just when I thought it was over for me, you pulled me out of the darkness. You were there for me. You believed in me and stuck by my side. I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you. You're a true friend, Mickey. Thank you."

Mickey nodded and the two of them embraced. Riku rose and turned to Kairi. "Don't ever for a second doubt yourself, you hear me? You'll be a Keyblade Master in no time. I'm sure of it."

"That means a lot," she said with a smile before the two of them hugged. "Stay safe."

"I will."

"I've got his back," declared Zack from behind them. "Don't you worry."

Kairi nodded at him. "Good to know. You watch yourself out there too."

Zack gave her a brisk salute. "Yes, ma'am."

Riku walked over to Sora, who suddenly found himself unsure of what to say. Riku beat him to it.

"I guess this is it."

Sora nodded. "I guess so."

Riku placed an arm on his shoulder. "You're the best friend – the best rival – a guy could ever ask for, Sora. Whenever I felt like giving up, whether you knew it or not, it was always you who motivated me to keep pushing forward; to continue bettering myself. I'm damn proud to call you my friend, and in my heart, I'll always consider you my brother."

Sora stood there for a moment before looking up at him and saying, "Eh, I guess you're alright too."

Everyone laughed as Riku messed up Sora's hair. The two of them embraced after that, and when they pulled away from each other, Sora said, "Good luck out there."

When Sora turned to Kairi, he found her already looking at him. "Remember," she said as he approached. "You promised."

Sora took her hand. "I don't break my promises. I'm coming back."

Kairi looked past him at Donald and Goofy. "Keep an eye on him for me."

"You can count on us, Kairi," Goofy answered with a nod. "We'll take good care of him."

"That's right!" chimed Donald.

"Train hard," Sora told her. "You're gonna be great." Then he hugged her tighter than he had ever done before. She clutched the back of his shirt as her head rested on his chest. "I will."

The embrace seemed to last forever as neither of them wanted to let up. Finally, Sora forced himself to pull away from her. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes but save for one single tear that escaped, she did not cry. Sora wiped the tear from her cheek and beamed at her. "I'll see you soon."

Kairi smiled in return and said, "I know," before stepping back.

Sora looked at her for a few more seconds before turning. "Leon, Cid, thanks for everything. I don't know where we'd be right now without your help."

"Just save the Universe and we'll call it even," replied Leon with a grin. "All of us believe in you guys. We're with you always, no matter what."

"Damn skippy," added Cid. "Good luck to you all."

Five minutes later Sora was seated in the cockpit of the _Highwind, _maneuvering it away from Gummi Station, with the _Ark Royal _just ahead. Alan's voice emerged from the intercom, speaking to both ships.

"We've sent you the coordinates to your respective mass relays. You'll warp to your relay's location and then you'll use them to get you to the uncharted regions. Once you're over there you'll be on your own."

"You can contact us here at the station at any time using your ship's computers," added Leon. "Keep us posted with your findings. We'll help in any way we can."

"Copy that," answered Sora. "Don't forget that Maleficent and Pete are still out there. Watch yourselves while we're away."

"Understood," replied Leon. "Fly safe."

"We will. _Highwind _out."

Zack's voice came through over the intercom. "Happy travels, boys. We'll see you soon. _Ark Royal _out."

A burst of light appeared from the _Ark Royal's _hull, and a moment later the ship was gone. Sora looked back at Donald and Goofy, who both gave him a thumbs-up.

"Warping in three, two, one."

Sora pressed the warp button on the console and the space around the _Highwind_ dissolved instantly. Seconds later they were no longer in orbit above Radiant Garden. Sora spotted the mass relay immediately.

The thing was immensely larger than he had imagined, and significantly grander than Flynn's hologram. There was a majestic touch about the construct that simply awed Sora. He guided the _Highwind_ toward it.

"Our computer has synced with the relay," said Donald from behind him. "We're clear to jump."

"Here we go guys." Sora moved the throttle forward and the _Highwind _began picking up speed. "This is gonna be one for the history books."

The _Highwind_ approached the mass relay's core, where the spinning circles kept the element zero within contained. Suddenly, a surge of energy shot from the core and took hold of the ship. The energy guided the craft across the center of the relay at an increasing speed before finally reaching its zenith and flinging the _Highwind_ light years away to parts unknown.


End file.
